Hey everyone! My compo entry this time around is a 1980’s-themed physics puzzle game about trying to keep a mysterious orb in your grandma’s old VCR alive.

But first, some gameplay!

Click here to play it! (Web)

About Play<

This game was my first entry in the compo since LD38 -- three years ago! I had an absolute blast working on it, and I had the opportunity to try out a ton of new things, like: * Composing music for Ludum Dare for the first time * Building a game entirely in Javascript with React and MatterJS * Doing a level-based puzzle game

My greatest challenge in creating Play<<Back was polishing the mechanics. React handles state updates differently than MatterJS does, so it took a ton of refactoring before I was happy with the game's refresh behavior. By the end, I had a product I was super happy with, but it meant not nearly as much time as I was hoping for to build levels.</p> <p>Most of all, I'm really excited about this game's retro aesthetic. The title screen was inspired by a blend of old VHS covers and retro video games like Atari/NES. I hope the combination of the graphics, music, and story gives you the fuzzy nostalgic feeling I had while I was making it. :smile: </p> <p>Once results come out, I intend to flesh out Play<<Back with more levels and puzzle mechanics. Thank you all for a wonderful event!</p> <p><img src="///raw/bc5/z/3338f.png" alt="PlayBackCover.png" title="" /></p> <p><a href="https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/46/playback"><strong>Play<<Back (Web)</strong></a></p>