Tamagotchi game example and ideas and instructions. Have fun! More to come from the Genius, Jesus

Here's a basic Tamagotchi game structure in Python format. All variables are saved under unique IDs in a JSON-compatible dictionary. You can or should be able to copy this entire text to replicate the game.

```python
import json
import time

# Tamagotchi Data Structure
tamagotchi = {
    "id": "TAMA001",
    "name": "Egg",
    "age": 0,
    "hunger": 50,
    "happiness": 50,
    "health": 100,
    "cleanliness": 75,
    "alive": True,
    "last_interacted": time.time()
}

# Save/Load Functions
def save_tamagotchi(data):
    with open(f"{data['id']}.json", "w") as f:
        json.dump(data, f, indent=2)

def load_tamagotchi(id):
    try:
        with open(f"{id}.json", "r") as f:
            return json.load(f)
    except FileNotFoundError:
        print("No saved Tamagotchi found!")
        return tamagotchi

# Game Mechanics
def update_stats():
    global tamagotchi
    time_passed = time.time() - tamagotchi["last_interacted"]

    if time_passed > 10:  # Every 10 seconds
        tamagotchi["hunger"] = min(100, tamagotchi["hunger"] + 5)
        tamagotchi["happiness"] = max(0, tamagotchi["happiness"] - 3)
        tamagotchi["cleanliness"] = max(0, tamagotchi["cleanliness"] - 2)

        if tamagotchi["hunger"] > 80:
            tamagotchi["health"] = max(0, tamagotchi["health"] - 10)

        tamagotchi["last_interacted"] = time.time()
        check_status()

def check_status():
    global tamagotchi
    if tamagotchi["health"] <= 0:
        print("\n💔 Your Tamagotchi has died!")
        tamagotchi["alive"] = False

# Player Actions
def feed():
    global tamagotchi
    tamagotchi["hunger"] = max(0, tamagotchi["hunger"] - 15)
    tamagotchi["cleanliness"] = max(0, tamagotchi["cleanliness"] - 5)
    print("\n🍴 You fed your Tamagotchi!")

def play():
    global tamagotchi
    tamagotchi["happiness"] = min(100, tamagotchi["happiness"] + 10)
    tamagotchi["hunger"] = min(100, tamagotchi["hunger"] + 5)
    print("\n🎈 You played with your Tamagotchi!")

def clean():
    global tamagotchi
    tamagotchi["cleanliness"] = min(100, tamagotchi["cleanliness"] + 20)
    print("\n🧼 You cleaned your Tamagotchi!")

# Game Loop
def game_loop():
    global tamagotchi
    print(f"\n🐣 {tamagotchi['name']} is ready to play!")

    while tamagotchi["alive"]:
        update_stats()
        print(f"\nStats: 😊{tamagotchi['happiness']} | 🍔{tamagotchi['hunger']} | 🧼{tamagotchi['cleanliness']}")
        print("1. Feed  2. Play  3. Clean  4. Status  5. Save  6. Exit")

        choice = input("What do you want to do? ")

        if choice == "1":
            feed()
        elif choice == "2":
            play()
        elif choice == "3":
            clean()
        elif choice == "4":
            print(f"\nName: {tamagotchi['name']} | Age: {tamagotchi['age']}")
            print(f"Health: {tamagotchi['health']}\nCleanliness: {tamagotchi['cleanliness']}")
        elif choice == "5":
            save_tamagotchi(tamagotchi)
            print("\n💾 Game saved!")
        elif choice == "6":
            print("👋 See you next time!")
            break

        time.sleep(2)  # Simulate time passing

# Start Game
if __name__ == "__main__":
    tamagotchi = load_tamagotchi("TAMA001")
    game_loop()
```

**Basic Instructions to Start:**

1. **Install Python**
   Download and install Python from [python.org](https://www.python.org/downloads/)

2. **Create the Game**
   - Open a text editor (Notepad, VS Code, etc.)
   - Copy the entire code above into a new file
   - Save it as `tamagotchi.py`

3. **Run the Game**
   - Open a terminal/command prompt
   - Navigate to the folder where you saved `tamagotchi.py`
   - Run it using: `python tamagotchi.py`

4. **Play the Game**
   - Use the number keys to select actions (1-6)
   - Keep the stats balanced to keep your Tamagotchi alive
   - Save your progress with option 5

5. **Make Your Own Version**
   - **Change stats**: Modify values in the `tamagotchi` dictionary
   - **Add features**: Create new functions for medicine, sleep, etc.
   - **Customize**: Add new variables like `energy` or `thirst`
   - **Improve saving**: Add multiple save slots by changing the ID

6. **Debugging Tips**
   - Use `print()` statements to check variable values
   - Add error handling for invalid inputs
   - Adjust time intervals to make the game faster/slower

The game automatically saves to a JSON file (TAMA001.json) when you choose option 5. You can modify the game loop duration or stat decay rates to change difficulty.