Watch Invaders 👾⌚

A classic arcade-style space invaders game for Garmin smartwatches, built with Connect IQ and Monkey C.

Features

• 🎮 Classic arcade gameplay adapted for smartwatches
• 👾 Green alien invaders that shoot back
• 🚀 Player cannon with limited fire rate
• 💥 Visual flash effects when aliens or player are hit
• 📈 Progressive difficulty with each level
• 💯 Score tracking and lives system
• 📱 Optimized for circular watch displays

Supported Devices

• Garmin Fenix 7 / 7S / 7X
• Garmin Fenix 6S Pro
• Garmin Venu 2 / 2S
• Garmin Vivoactive 4 / 4S

Controls

• Move Left: Swipe left, tap left side of screen, or use left button
• Move Right: Swipe right, tap right side of screen, or use right button
• Fire: Press SELECT button or center tap
• Restart: Press SELECT when game over

Game Mechanics

• Maximum of 4 player bullets on screen
• Fire rate limited to prevent bullet spam
• Aliens shoot green bullets randomly
• Player starts with 3 lives
• Aliens speed up with each level
• Game ends when aliens reach the bottom or player loses all lives

Building from Source

Prerequisites

1. Install Garmin Connect IQ SDK:

   • Visit Garmin Developer Portal
   • Download SDK for your platform (macOS/Windows/Linux)
   • Follow the installation guide

2. Generate a developer key:

   openssl genrsa -out developer_key 4096

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/farmisen/watch-invaders.git
cd watch-invaders

2. Configure environment:

cp .envrc.example .envrc
# Edit .envrc to set your SDK path
source .envrc

3. Build the app:

make build     # Debug build
make release   # Release build

4. Run in simulator:

make run       # Build and run
make restart   # Run without rebuilding

Installation

USB Transfer (Recommended)

macOS Users

macOS requires OpenMTP for MTP device access:

# Install OpenMTP via Homebrew
brew install --cask openmtp

# Build and transfer
make release
# Open OpenMTP, connect watch, navigate to GARMIN/APPS
# Drag and drop WatchInvaders.prg

Windows/Linux Users

make release
# Connect watch via USB (appears as drive)
# Copy WatchInvaders.prg to GARMIN/APPS/
# Safely eject

See DEPLOY.md for detailed installation instructions.

Development

Project Structure

watch-invaders/
├── source/                  # Monkey C source files
│   ├── WatchInvadersApp.mc    # Application entry
│   ├── WatchInvadersView.mc   # Game logic & rendering
│   └── WatchInvadersDelegate.mc # Input handling
├── resources/              # Assets and resources
├── manifest.xml           # App configuration
├── monkey.jungle          # Build configuration
└── Makefile              # Build automation

Make Commands

• make build - Compile debug version
• make release - Compile release version
• make run - Build and launch simulator
• make restart - Launch simulator without rebuilding
• make clean - Remove build artifacts
• make help - Show all commands

Technical Details

• Language: Monkey C
• Platform: Garmin Connect IQ
• Frame Rate: 5 FPS (200ms timer)
• Min SDK: 3.2.0

Contributing

Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests for improvements!

License

MIT License - feel free to use this code for your own projects.

Acknowledgments

• Classic Space Invaders arcade game for inspiration
• Garmin Connect IQ developer community
• Built with assistance from Claude Code

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⌚ Made for Garmin smartwatches with ❤️