Sector Survival (gmtkjam-07-17)

Description:

Sector Survival is a bullet hell type game that is played exclusively with the mouse. The only way to move out of harms way is to propell yourself forward by shooting in the opposite direction. It was created during a 48 hour period for the Game Maker's Toolkit Jam. Development Time ~10 hours.

"I like that you can play this game one-handed. Be sure to stick around for the Boss Fight at the two minute mark, if you have the time. This game could definitely use more polish and it only features programmer art, so don't get your hopes up."-Sadtwig

Controls:

• Mouse - Aim.
• Left Mouse Button - Charged Shot.
• Middle Mouse Button - Stabilizing Bomb.
• Right Mouse Button - Mirror
• "R"-key: Reset the game.

How does this submission match the theme? 

Since this jam provoked us to explore Dual Purpose Designs, I brainstormed how to combine movement mechanics with other mechanics. Because of the short timespan for this jam, I started right away with one of the first ideas that sprung to my mind: Interconnect Shooting and Moving.  The result is a game where shooting does not only have the purpose to defeat enemies, but also to move you using the recoil of your weapon. Since this behaviour can lead to the player feeling out of control of their movement I added two additional mechanics that are tied to movement. One of them is a smart bomb item, It destroys all the small enemies on the screen. In addition to that it also stops any momentum the player has, allowing him to safe himself from flying into a dangerous area. The other mechanic is a mirror shield that can be placed rather freely on the map. It reflects asteroids and your own projectiles to perform trick shots, but also reflects the player while conserving his speed. Using the mirror shield, the player can perform safe 180° turns. 

In addition to the dual purpose for movement, I decided to link the players hitbox-size  and weight to his remaining health. The more damage the player takes, the more nimble he becomes, which can allow him to survive longer, if he manages to control the new speed.

The asteroid enemies also serve second purpose other than hurting you. Destroying enough of them refills a stabilizing bomb.

Platforms:

You can play it in the browser or download a prepacked windows executable.

Third Party Disclaimer:

• I used the Clickteam Fusion engine.
• Creative Commons Licensed Soundfiles from Freesound.org: "Alien_Monster_Scream.wav by audione", "Energy Gloves.wav by ejfortin", "monster_death_scream.wav by Syna-Max", "LaserSound by tjcason" and "Alien Dream by Romariogrande".

Contributor Credits:

Just me.