When the theme landed, it was another case of "I can't believe this was the winning theme ughhhh".

I had a few game ideas in mind - such as a collapsing land of tiles, a roguelike where tiles kept falling off where you walked and if you fell off you'd get to the next level, walls closing in on you, a shrinking table with items falling off, and a space fitting puzzle where you'd put dancers on stage while hoping they don't bump into each other.

However I had given myself a rule this time: Make a 2D entry - to make it easier for me to complete the game within the compo period without losing much sleep. Even better yet, go with something minimalistic!

I kept gravitating towards the idea in the game of Hundreds, which is a minimalist game on iOS around expanding spheres while making sure that they don't collide. And then thought - why not place a twinstick shooter inside it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM0Vo7neVpw

I also analysed the game of THOTH, which is a minimalist twinstick shooter for some inspiration. I liked its slow introduction of the various mechanics and subsequent subversion, keeping the gameplay fresh. In particular, the creepy mechanical sound effects, the ambient soundscape and the shooting sound which was rather clear but unobtrusive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg4Z8Szhp5o

The choice of going minimalistic and 2D was a real significant move, as I had finished the core mechanic of my game on day 1, and had much more time to add mechanics, apply polish, add stages and even compose a BGM from scratch for my entry this time (although it is kind of a crappy ambient piece!). I still lost some sleep, but kept my sanity.

Here is a trailer for my game, and you can clearly see where I was ~~stealing ideas~~ getting inspiration from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7V2nCTc4MI

Check out the game here!