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SoK/2025/StatusReport/Ashutosh Singh

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Games Proposal: Enhancing the Mankala Graphical User Interface

Project Abstract

The goal of this project is to enhance the visual and interactive experience of the recently developed Mankala game. Currently, the GUI is functional but minimal. I aim to redesign it using the Kirigami framework to align with KDE's design principles — delivering a more intuitive, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing interface. This will improve overall usability, especially for new players, and bring Mankala closer to the polish expected of KDE Games.

Deliverables

  • A visually improved landing page
  • Simplified and intuitive game navigation
  • Implementation of the following screens:
    • Main Menu
    • About Page
    • Game Page
    • Game Over Page

Mentors

Weekly Progress Overview

Week 1–2: Setup and Planning

  • Successfully built and ran the Mankala game locally
  • Set up the development environment
  • Explored Kirigami and reviewed the existing QML structure
  • Designed initial UI wireframes for key screens

Week 3–6: Basic UI and Navigation

  • Built the Landing Page and About Page
  • Implemented the Main Menu with navigation logic:
    • App launches on the Landing Page
    • Navigation to Main Menu where users select a game variant
    • A brief rules screen is shown for selected variant from where player can start game.

Week 7–8: Game Screen and Integration

  • Developed a simple, responsive board layout using QML
  • Iterated on visual improvements for better layout and spacing
  • Started integrating MankalaEngine with the frontend

Week 9–10: Functionality and Debugging

  • Connected backend logic (move validation, board updates)
  • Users can now play Bohnenspiel and Oware variants
  • Addressed multiple integration bugs.

Current Status

  • The game board successfully communicates with MankalaEngine for initializing and making moves
  • Functional gameplay is available for two Mankala variants
  • Some QML warnings still appear during runtime

Known Issues and Bugs

  • Some GUI bugs ,it does not effect the game visuals but appear when the app builds.
  • Build error when compiling app-mankala-gui
  • Game Over screen is not implemented yet

Future TOdo's

  • Implement and design the Game Over screen
  • Add support for two additional Mankala variants:
    • Planghuli
    • Kalah
  • Import rule descriptions dynamically from MankalaEngine
  • Fix QML warnings and refine design for final polish

Blog Updates

Follow my weekly updates on my blog: [1](https://coosmos.github.io)

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