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Playing Moon-Buggy made me miss the days of dial-up—and that’s a compliment.

I was knee-deep in bash scripts one night when I hit a wall—the kind only a blinking cursor and too much coffee can create. Out of instinct, I typed apt search game, half-jokingly, and there it was: Moon-Buggy. An ASCII relic from a simpler time, sitting quietly in the repositories, waiting for someone nostalgic—or just bored enough—to install it.

Five minutes later, I was swearing at a tiny pixelated moon rover that kept nosediving into craters. And I loved it.

In a world where games require logins, 20GB of storage, and a graphics card that costs more than rent, Moon-Buggy is a reminder that joy can be tiny, text-based, and totally FOSS. If you’ve ever wished your terminal could double as an escape pod, this one’s for you.

Here’s how to install and play Moon-Buggy in Termux—and why it might be the nerdiest form of self-care you’ve overlooked.

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⚠️ Disclaimer:
The steps outlined in this article were based on my personal setup and were working at the time of writing. Due to the ever-changing nature of Android, Termux, and package support, your experience may vary. Termux has limited or no native support for certain hardware features like Bluetooth, depending on your device and Android version. Use these instructions as a reference, not a guarantee. I publish these guides to document my own experiments and findings — always verify against your own environment.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game
2. Installing the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game on Termux
3. How to Play the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game on Termux
4. Tips and Tricks for the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game
5. Troubleshooting the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game on Termux
6. Final Thoughts on the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game

What Is Moon-Buggy and Why Is It Still Awesome?

Moon-Buggy is a lightweight side-scrolling ASCII game where you drive a little moon rover across a cratered lunar surface. It was created in the early 2000s and, like many good open source projects, quietly lives on in package repositories—small, stable, and stubbornly fun.

You dodge craters, jump obstacles, and watch your buggy explode when you mess up. There’s no high-end graphics, no tutorial, and no apology. And somehow, that makes it perfect. It’s you vs. the machine in the most literal, keyboard-pounding sense.

If you’ve ever played Dino Run in Chrome or those no-frills retro jumpers, Moon-Buggy is that—but made for the terminal.

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Why Use Termux for Moon-Buggy?

Termux turns your Android device into a lightweight Linux terminal. Think of it as a CLI sandbox with real package management, perfect for ethical hacking, scripting, coding—or in this case, gaming.

Installing and running Moon-Buggy in Termux means:

• You don’t need root access.
• You’re using real Debian-based tools.
• You’re learning how to install and run CLI software in a safe, sandboxed way.

For beginners, this is fun wrapped in a learning opportunity—you’ll practice installing packages, navigating the command line, and maybe even customizing your shell a little more confidently.

Controls and Quick Tips for Playing Moon-Buggy

Once you’re in the game, here’s what you need to know:

• SPACE: Jump
• a or l: Fire (because why not shoot obstacles on the moon?)
• q: Quit the game
• p: Pause

🧠 Pro Tip: You can also press h in-game for a help screen, but let’s be honest—you’ll probably hit a crater before you get there.

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Installing the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game on Termux

Prerequisites: Getting Termux Ready

If you’re new to Termux, don’t worry—it’s easier than it sounds. You’re just a few commands away from a fully armed and operational terminal environment. First things first:

Install Termux.

Download it via F-Droid (not the Play Store—the version there is outdated).

Open Termux.

Update Termux packages:

pkg update pkg upgrade

Install the Moon-Buggy package:

pkg install moon-buggy

Verify installation:

moon-buggy --version 

This command should return the version of Moon-Buggy, confirming that the installation was successful.

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· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

How to Play the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game on Termux

1. Launch the Game:
   • In Termux: Type moon-buggy and press Enter to start the game.
2. Game Controls:
   • Spacebar: Accelerates the moon buggy.
   • Arrow Keys: Use the left and right arrow keys to navigate.
   • Esc Key: Press Esc to quit the game.
3. Objective:
   • Navigate the buggy through the scrolling landscape while avoiding obstacles.
   • Score Points: Your score increases with the distance traveled.

How to Exit Moon-Buggy (Before You Rage-Quit)

Ah yes—the eternal question in terminal gaming: “How do I quit this thing?”

Once you’ve jumped your last crater or exploded for the 19th time in 30 seconds, you can exit the game gracefully by pressing:

q

That’s it. No Ctrl+C. No alt-tab escape hatches. Just one keystroke to end the madness.

And if you really panic, you can always swipe away Termux like any other Android app—but where’s the dignity in that?

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Tips and Tricks for the Moon-Buggy ASCII Game

• Stay Alert: The Moon-Buggy ASCII game scrolls continuously, so keep an eye on incoming obstacles.
• Use the Terrain: Learn the patterns of obstacles to navigate more effectively.
• Practice: Regular play will improve your skills and help you achieve higher scores.

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From Crashing to Craving—Bring Moon-Buggy Back

Whether you grew up on dial-up or just appreciate the beauty of minimalist code, Moon-Buggy is more than a throwback—it’s a FOSS-fueled joyride through time, space, and pure terminal geekery.

You’ve learned how to install it, crash gloriously, and maybe even laugh at how seriously fun a decades-old ASCII game can be. There’s something deeply human about finding delight in the unexpected—especially in a terminal window.

Want more odd-but-awesome tools, open source rabbit holes, and CLI fun?
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