Core gameplay loop
The moment-to-moment gameplay of the game involves:
- Exploration-focused parkour movement
- Grapple hook serves as biggest boon in movement kit
- Linear level sections, sometimes traversable both forwards and backwards
- Stacked/layered world full of shortcuts you discover as more time goes on
- Simple combat in the form of one-hit kills: Fast and fun
Player kit
Grapple hook
Swing from points to cross gaps and gain speed
Interact with objects in the overworld
Grab and throw certain items
Grapple to enemies to reach high places or perform a combo
Grapple hook quality of life features
Grapple forgiveness: If the player just barely doesn’t reach a grapple point, the game will say “yeah you were pretty much there” and let them connect to it
Exit boost: If the player isn’t moving very fast when they detach, the game will give them a slight boost forward to make sure they can clear a gap
Whiplash prevention: The game will automatically shorten the connected rope distance to maintain a smooth, parabolic motion for the player
Double jump
Upwards and forward boost Recharges after touching ground or after detaching from grapple point
Can be used to redirect momentum while preserving speed
Can double jump while not pressing any direction keys to halt forward momentum
Can crouch and then immediately jump to perform long jump (WAHOO!)
Sandbox
Thrusters, boosters, trampolines
Trampolines exclusively provide upward momentum
Thrusters launch player in a specific direction
Boosters amplify player’s current momentum
Enemies and items can be launched by all three of these
- Clamber
- Combat
- Forward punch: Can knock down other enemies
- Upward punch: Sends enemy upward for height gain
- Slide/dodge
- Gain speed on slopes while sliding
- Crouch under low ceilings
- “Long jump” potential - ctrl + space gives you a lot of forward momentum (feature-bug), maybe intentionally lean into this? Would need to moderate how often you can do it, but by lategame maybe it wouldn’t matter
- Reeling
- Late game upgrade
- Rapidly crank handle on hook to gain huge speed boost
- Ground slam
- Late game upgrade
- Hold crouch in midair to slam down on ground quickly
- Can’t grapple or change direction in slam state
- Only conceptualized right now, haven’t implemented anything
- Diving
- Hold shift to swim down, buoyancy automatically brings you towards surface
- Water movement sucks a bit but is a minor feature - not sure if this will get much attention
- Combat