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CTRL + HEART's itch.io pageTeam members and roles
Sarthak Kanade
itch.io username: MasterSK
Ritesh Jadhav
itch.io username: RiteshJadhav283
How did you interpret the themes?
Dating Sim × Real-Time Strategy game where the two genres directly control each other.
The top half is a real-time first date, while the bottom half is the character's internal world. Instead of choosing dialogue from a menu, you manage four emotions — Calm, Anxiety, Confidence, and Attraction — across a small network of internal nodes such as the Brain, Heart, Voice, Body, and Lungs. While the girl is talking, reacting, or creating an awkward moment, the player must manage that internal system in real time.
Your RTS decisions determine the character's emotional state, which automatically determines what he says or does. That response then changes the girl's reaction and the relationship's Connection level, which affects what happens next in the date. This makes the Dating Sim and RTS inseparable: the conversation creates the RTS problem, and the RTS determines how the conversation plays out.
The result is a dating game where you are essentially trying to run someone's internal control center while they attempt to have a normal first date.
What are you entering?
Engine and tools used?
Engine: Unity 6 (6000.3.9f1), URP 2D, Unity Input System, WebGL.
Custom Tech: C# procedural SDF UI rendering for resolution-independent nodes, meters, and neural pathways.
AI & Development: Google Antigravity IDE for AI-assisted coding and gameplay systems; AnkleBreaker MCP for live Unity Editor interaction and scene manipulation;
Art & Animation: Gemini for assets art reference. AutoSprite.io for AI-assisted sprite/animation generation; Kenney RPG Expansion UI Pack and Sprout Lands UI Pack for UI assets and typography.
Audio: Royalty-free Unity Asset Store/itch.io music and SFX packs, with a custom audio manager for dynamic music, heartbeat, and interaction sounds.
Road to GDC
Consider my game for the Road to GDC prize
Bezi Challenge
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Synty Challenge
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Which Synty assets did you use?
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Enter my game in the CrazyGames Challenge
Fan Art Artist
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Fan Art Process Video
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Where can we find your Fan Art?
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Comments
The protagonist you controller : Calm, confidence, attracting
You : panic, what do i do ... what do i do...
Okay this is a very interesting concept, but sometimes i felt the juice feedback of my action is lacking. I wish the buttons are animated and there is a sound when some effect applied. The potential is good and Maya is hot. Would like to see more of this. Good job, dev!
First time dating someone so i was in on a surprise.
Turning a first date into a real-time emotional control room is a clever take on the theme. Seeing Calm restore composure while spending oxygen made the internal resources feel connected, and the cafe setting gives the whole thing a nice atmosphere. A clearer preview of what each emotion will do to the selected organ would help with learning the system. I enjoyed seeing the conversation respond to that internal balancing act!
Thank you so much for playing and sharing your thoughts! ❤️ Really glad you enjoyed the game. Hope you had a great time playing it! 🙌
We got some really helpful feedback on the game and realized that the flow wasn’t as clear as we thought, especially around the RTS section. So here’s a quick, clearer explanation of how the game works! 🧠❤️
You can also find this in-game under “How To Play”:
🧠 CTRL+HEART — Quick How-To-Play:
In CTRL+HEART, you don't pick dialogue options—you control your nervous system, and your body speaks for you!
Each turn (10 rounds total):
Organs:
🧠 Brain — Wit
🗣️ Voice — Speech
❤️ Heart — Passion
🫀 Body — Presence
🫁 Lungs — Generates oxygen
⚠️ Don't let Composure hit 0 (instant panic attack meltdown)!
🎯 Goal: Reach Connection Tier 3 or 4 by Round 10 to win a second date!
❤️ let us know your Highest Connection Score after Play!
We’d love to see how high you guys can get it! 👀🔥
This is a really interesting idea! I had trouble understanding how to play, so a short introduction or clearer feedback could help players get into it. There’s a lot of potential here keep going!
Thank you so much for the feedback! We really appreciate you taking the time to play and share your thoughts. We’ll definitely take your suggestions into account and work on making the experience clearer and more enjoyable. Really glad you like it!
This is an interesting take on the jam theme. I like the assets.
Getting some wierd blurring in both full screen and windowed mode on text in the game. I would also say that a tutorial would be helpful for your RTS elements. Would love to see where this goes after some polish
Thank you so much for the detailed feedback! We really appreciate you taking the time to play and point these things out. We’ll definitely look into the text blurring and take your suggestion about adding a tutorial for the RTS elements into account. Thanks again for the support
Hey! Give our game a try and let us know what you think!
Whether you loved it, hated it, got confused somewhere, or just have a random thought — we'd genuinely love to hear your feedback. We're a small team and every comment means a lot to us.
Hope you have fun playing CTRL+HEART!