Trust Nothing

Vasilis Bellos
/
Trust Nothing
on 8 Nov 2026
4
39
10
2
10000
game.m
function g=game
% Trust Nothing
% A think-outside-the-box game
g.init=@I;
g.update=@U;
g.render=@R;
end

function s=I(a)
% All graphics are pooled. The 270-row world is cropped to a 150-row viewport
% Fields: r: direction, w: mode delay, k: key phase, j: wall clock, o: camera,
% a: best completed death count, t: run time, f: punchline, n: names, e: artwork
set(a,XLim=[0 800],YLim=[0 600],YDir='r',Color='#090b16');
% Decoded table: colormap(a,[9 11 22;17 21 38;22 28 46;49 58 80;77 91 112;123 142 157;235 239 218;255 77 97;142 42 68;255 198 91;65 220 199;30 103 112;103 96 181;208 180 239;255 215 179;68 116 207]/255);
colormap(a,reshape(K('三丑世丱乍乻仫仿于仿乁丞乧仐仿乄下丕东为乛于仯乍个仆仜乧习亴仗乴世並丮乐买亝仚乡乄乛仇买亵仯亳仏'),16,[])/255);
s.bg=ones(270,200);
s.bg(25:260,:)=2;
for j=26:8:260
    for k=-15:16:200
        x=k+mod(j,16);
        s.bg(j+1:j+6,max(1,x+1):min(200,x+14))=3;
    end
end
s.g=image(a,[2 798],[2 598],s.bg(1:150,:),CDataM='d');
q={'FontN','FixedWidth','FontU','n','Interp','n','Color',[.92 .94 .86]};
s.h=gobjects(1,6);
for k=1:6
    s.h(k)=text(a,400,0,'',q{:},Ho='c');
end
set(s.h,{'Po'},{[32 48];[768 48];[400 48];[400 204];[400 296];[400 570]},...
    {'FontS'},{.025;.025;.03;.066;.028;.025});
set(s.h(1:2),{'Ho'},{'l';'r'});
set(s.h(4),FontW='b');
s.sp=reshape('003333003333330022420002222000555000255520005550000404400440000',7,[])'-'0';
s.e={
% Decoded table: [4 -3 1 3 11;5 -3 3 1 11;1 0 6 8 8;0 2 8 4 8;2 1 2 2 7];
    reshape(K('丄丅丁一丂䷽䷽一丂丁丁七丆丈丂七丁丈丄丂下下丈丈万'),5,[]);
% Decoded table: [3 -2 4 14 6;-2 3 14 4 6;3 3 4 4 9];
    reshape(K('七䷾七䷾七七丄与丄与丄丄丆丆三'),3,[]);
% Decoded table: [0 0 12 12 6;2 2 8 8 4;3 4 2 2 8;7 4 2 2 8;3 9 6 1 1;0 0 12 2 10]};
    reshape(K('一丂七万七一一丂丄丄三一丌丈丂丂丆丌丌丈丂丂丁丂丆丄丈丈丁上'),6,[])};
s.n=split("LEISURELY STROLL|FRESH PRODUCE|PRESS YOUR LUCK|BUILT TO LAST|CHECKPOINT|HEADROOM|SAW IT COMING|DOWNFALL","|");
[s.l,s.d,s.a,s.t,s.m]=deal(1,0,Inf,0,0);
s=L(s);
set(findobj(a,'-not','Type','axes'),Hit='off',Pick='none');
end

function s=L(s)
% Each room is a checkpoint. b: blocks [x y width height kind age]
% hz: hazards [x y width height kind triggerX]; z: time since triggered
[s.x,s.y,s.v,s.r,s.c,s.rt,s.w,s.k,s.j,s.o,s.f]=deal(16,128,0,1,.07,0,0,0,0,0,"");
s.ex=[184 128];
e=ones(0,5);
f=1:25;
switch s.l
    case 1
% Decoded table: s.hz=[52 122 6 6 1 0;100 122 6 6 1 0;147 122 12 6 8 128];
        s.hz=reshape(K('临乤亓乺乺乺丆丆丌丆丆丆丁丁丈一一亀'),3,[]);
    case 2
% Decoded table: s.hz=[44 122 6 6 1 0;98 122 6 6 1 0;142 122 6 6 1 0;76 60 8 8 3 54;130 143 8 8 4 108;174 60 8 8 3 152];
        s.hz=reshape(K('丬乢于乌亂亮乺乺乺丼亏丼丆丆丆丈丈丈丆丆丆丈丈丈丁丁丁七丄七一一一丶乬亘'),6,[]);
    case 3
% Decoded table: s.hz=[49 110 12 18 7 0;93 110 12 18 7 0;137 110 12 18 7 0;169 122 6 6 1 0;58 96 18 7 2 -1;104 96 18 7 2 -1];
        s.hz=reshape(K('丱九争亩为乨乮乮乮乺习习丌丌丌丆丒丒丒丒丒丆万万万万万丁丂丂一一一一䷿䷿'),6,[]);
    case 4
        f(6:20)=0;
% Decoded table: e=[44 120 16 8 2;68 108 16 8 2;92 100 16 8 2;116 108 16 8 2;140 120 16 8 2];
        e=reshape(K('丬乄乜乴二乸乬乤乬乸丐丐丐丐丐丈丈丈丈丈丂丂丂丂丂'),5,[]);
% Decoded table: s.hz=[91 73 18 7 2 -1];
        s.hz=K('乛义丒万丂䷿');
    case 5
% Decoded table: s.hz=[49 122 6 6 1 0;110 44 12 12 6 90;151 122 6 6 1 0];
        s.hz=reshape(K('丱乮亗乺丬乺丆丌丆丆丌丆丁丆丁一乚一'),3,[]);
    case 6
% Decoded table: s.hz=[84 122 6 6 1 0;142 122 6 6 1 0;48 84 12 8 2 -1;110 84 12 8 2 -1;166 84 12 8 2 150];
        s.hz=reshape(K('乔于丰乮亦乺乺乔乔乔丆丆丌丌丌丆丆丈丈丈丁丁丂丂丂一一䷿䷿亖'),5,[]);
    case 7
        f(7:25)=0;
% Decoded table: e=[56 116 20 6 1;88 104 20 6 1;120 116 20 6 1;152 104 20 6 1;176 96 24 8 1];
        e=reshape(K('丸乘乸亘亰乴乨乴乨习且且且且丘丆丆丆丆丈丁丁丁丁丁'),5,[]);
% Decoded table: s.hz=[76 86 10 10 5 0;138 85 10 10 5 2];
        s.hz=reshape(K('乌亊乖乕上上上上丅丅一丂'),2,[]);
        s.ex=[184 96];
    otherwise
        f(10:11)=0;
% Decoded table: s.hz=[49 122 6 6 1 0;93 122 6 6 1 0;145 122 6 6 1 0;99 242 6 6 1 0;122 242 6 6 1 0];
        s.hz=reshape(K('丱九云乣乺乺乺乺仲仲丆丆丆丆丆丆丆丆丆丆丁丁丁丁丁一一一一一'),5,[]);
% Decoded table: e=[64 248 96 8 1];
        e=K('乀仸习丈丁');
        s.ex=[16 128];
end
x=find(f);
s.b=[(x'-1)*8 repmat([128 8 16 1 -1],nnz(f),1)];
s.b=[s.b;e -ones(size(e,1),1)];
s.z=-ones(size(s.hz,1),1);
end

function s=U(s,dt,p)
% Modes: title, play, death, room clear, victory. Substeps prevent tunneling
s.w=s.w+dt;
if s.m~=1
    if p && (~s.m || s.w>.4)
        if s.m==3
            s.l=s.l+1;
        elseif s.m==4
            [s.l,s.d,s.t]=deal(1,0,0);
        end
        s=L(s);
        s.m=1;
    end
    return
end
s.t=s.t+dt;
if p
    if s.c>0
        s.v=-115;
    else
        s.v=155;
        s.r=-s.r;
    end
    s.c=0;
    s.z(s.hz(:,5)==7)=0;
end
n=ceil(dt/.008);
for j=1:n
    s=S(s,dt/n);
    if s.m~=1
        break
    end
end
if s.l==8 && s.k
    s.o=max(s.o,min(120,s.y-128));
end
end

function s=S(s,d)
% Small, deterministic steps; feet are (x,y), hazard collision box 4 by 6 pixels
[s.rt,s.c]=deal(s.rt+d,max(0,s.c-d));
s.z=s.z+d*(s.z>=0);
q=s.hz(:,5)>=2 & s.hz(:,5)~=7 & s.hz(:,6)>=0 & s.z<0 & s.x>s.hz(:,6);
s.z(q)=0;
s.b(:,6)=s.b(:,6)+d*(s.b(:,6)>=0);
b=s.b(s.b(:,6)<.2,:);
s.x=s.x+s.r*40*d;
if s.x<8 || s.x>192
    s.x=min(192,max(8,s.x));
    s.r=-s.r;
end
y=s.y;
s.y=s.y+s.v*d+145*d*d;
s.v=s.v+290*d;
q=s.x+2.5>b(:,1) & s.x-2.5<b(:,1)+b(:,3) & y<=b(:,2)+.1 & s.y>=b(:,2) & s.v>=0;
if any(q)
    [s.y,s.v,s.c]=deal(min(b(q,2)),0,.07);
    q=s.b(:,5)==2 & s.x+2.5>s.b(:,1) & s.x-2.5<s.b(:,1)+s.b(:,3) & abs(s.y-s.b(:,2))<.1 & s.b(:,6)<0;
    s.b(q,6)=0;
end
[h,on]=H(s);
on(1)=on(1)&s.l~=1;
q=s.hz(:,5)==6 & s.v>100 & y<=h(:,2) & s.y>=h(:,2) & abs(s.x-h(:,1)-6)<6;
s.hz(q,2)=200;
on(q)=false;
q=on & s.x+2>h(:,1)+1 & s.x-2<h(:,1)+h(:,3)-1 & s.y>h(:,2)+1.5 & s.y-6<h(:,2)+h(:,4)-1;
a=s.l==8 && s.k;
if any(q) || s.y>148+120*a || (a && s.y<150 && s.x>224-33*s.j)
    [s.m,s.w,s.d]=deal(2,0,s.d+1);
    j=9+(s.y<=148+120*a);
    if any(q)
        j=s.hz(find(q,1),5);
    end
    a=split("I lied.|Heads up.|An apple a day.|Yes. They fall up.|Some assembly required.|Flagged for removal.|Nice trigger finger.|I never said they'd stay put.|Warranty void upon use.|A wall-earned rest.","|");
    s.f=a(j);
    return
end
if s.l==8
    if ~s.k && s.x>174 && s.y<118
        s.k=1;
    end
    s.j=min(6.79,s.j+d*~~s.k);
    if s.k==1 && (s.x<24 || s.y>144)
        s.k=2;
        s.ex=[144 248];
    end
end
ok=max(abs([s.x s.y]-s.ex))<3 && (s.l~=8 || s.k==2);
if ok && s.l==7 && ~s.k
    [s.ex,s.k,s.r]=deal([16 128],1,-1);
    ok=false;
end
if ok
    [s.m,s.w]=deal(3+(s.l==8),0);
    if s.l==8
        s.a=min(s.a,s.d);
    end
end
end

function [h,on]=H(s)
% Geometry shared by simulation and drawing; trap delays are internal
[h,k,t]=deal(s.hz(:,1:4),s.hz(:,5),max(0,s.z-.22));
q=k>2 & k<5;
h(q,2)=h(q,2)+(7-2*k(q)).*min(180,240*t(q).^2);
q=k==2;
h(q,2)=h(q,2)+min(180,300*t(q).^2);
q=k==8;
h(q,1)=h(q,1)-min(12,60*t(q));
q=k==5;
h(q,2)=h(q,2)+19*sin(3*s.rt+s.hz(q,6));
q=k==6;
h(q,2)=h(q,2)+72*max(0,min(1,min(t(q)*4,(2.1-t(q))*2)));
on=k~=7 | (s.z>.18 & s.z<.75);
end

function R(~,s)
% All visuals derive solely from state, including particles and animation
a=s.bg;
for j=find(s.b(:,6)<.2)'
    b=s.b(j,:);
        c=5+5*(b(5)==2);
        B(b,4);
        B([b(1) b(2) b(3) 2],c);
        B([b(1)+1 b(2)+4 b(3)-2 2],3);
end
% Exit frame; bet you "fell" for it
g=s.ex(1);
p=s.ex(2);
B([g-5 p-16 10 16],12);
B([g-3 p-14 6 14],11);
if s.l==8 && ~s.k
    B([g-3 114 6 14],4);
    % Key rectangles: [177 106 5 5 10;178 107 3 3 2;179 111 1 5 10;180 113 1 1 10;180 115 2 1 10]
    for v=reshape(K('亱亲亳亴亴乪乫乯乱乳丅七丁丁丂丅七丅丁丁上丂上上上'),5,[])'
        B(v(1:4)',v(5));
    end
end
if s.l==5
    B([94 115 1 13],6);
    B([95 115 6 4],11);
    if s.hz(2,2)>150
        B([111 125 3 3],6);
        B([118 126 4 2],10);
    end
end
[h,on]=H(s);
for j=1:size(h,1)
    b=h(j,:);
    k=s.hz(j,5);
    x=round(b(1));
    y=round(b(2));
    if k<3 || k>6
        if on(j)
            for u=0:b(3)-1
                v=mod(u,6);
                t=ceil(b(4)*(1-abs(v-2.5)/3));
                yy=y+(b(4)-t)*(k~=2);
                B([x+u yy 1 t],8);
                B([x+u yy+(t-1)*(k==2) 1 1],7);
            end
        end
    else
        for v=s.e{max(1,k-3)}'
            B(v(1:4)'+[x y 0 0],v(5));
        end
    end
end
% Sequence after collecting the key
if s.l==8 && s.k
    x=224-33*s.j;
    B([x+6 24 200 120],9);
    for u=0:119
        t=ceil(6-2*abs(mod(u,6)-2.5));
        B([x+6-t 24+u t 1],8);
        B([x+6-t 24+u 1 1],7);
    end
end
if s.m~=2
    z=s.sp(:,4+s.r*(-3:3));
    if s.c>0 && mod(fix(s.rt*12),2)
        z(8:9,:)=fliplr(z(8:9,:));
    end
    [yy,xx]=find(z>0);
    cc=[7 15 8 1 16];
    x=round(s.x)-4+xx;
    y=round(s.y)-9+yy;
    % Living sprites stay within x=8:192, y=64:268; failures use particles
    a(sub2ind(size(a),y,x))=cc(z(z>0));
else
    for j=1:12
        v=j*pi/6;
        t=min(s.w,.6);
        B([s.x+28*cos(v)*t s.y-4+35*sin(v)*t+40*t*t 2 2],8+2*mod(j,2));
    end
end
% Crop the world after drawing; the HUD remains fixed while the room moves
a=a((1:150)+round(s.o),:);
a([1:24 145:150],:)=1;
[h,b]=deal("");
f="SPACE / CLICK: JUMP   /   IN AIR: DOUBLE JUMP"; % Or so you thought
if s.m~=1
    B([12 34 176 63],1);
    B([12 34 176 1],8);
    B([12 96 176 1],8);
    if ~s.m
        h="TRUST NOTHING";
        b="The spikes are decorative."+newline+"CLICK TO START";
    elseif s.m==2
        h=s.f;
        b="CLICK TO TRY AGAIN";
    elseif s.m==3
        h="FINE. YOU PASSED.";
        b="CLICK TO CONTINUE";
    else
        h="YOU CAN LEAVE NOW.";
        b=sprintf('%d deaths. %d seconds.\nCLICK TO PLAY AGAIN',s.d,round(s.t));
    end
end
set(s.g,CData=a);
set(s.h(4),FontS=.066-.021*(s.m==2));
set(s.h,{'St'},{"STAGE "+s.l;"DEATHS "+s.d+"  BEST "+replace(string(s.a),"Inf","-");s.n(s.l);h;b;f});
function B(r,c)
% Mutates only the call's local framebuffer, never state or graphics
r=round(r);
a(max(1,r(2)+1):min(270,r(2)+r(4)),max(1,r(1)+1):min(200,r(1)+r(3)))=c;
end
end

function v=K(z)
% Decodes a packed integer table
v=z-19968;
end
Play Game
Preview

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