Design Statement
I interpreted the theme track as a quiet journey through an unfamiliar but welcoming universe. I wanted space to feel like somewhere a small, personal home could gradually take shape.

The central design choice was a simple loop: salvage drifting cargo, craft useful or curious objects, sell them to passing travelers, and use the earnings to expand the platform. Starting with very little makes each recovered part meaningful. The physical hook gives gathering a playful rhythm, while continuously passing cargo creates small moments of opportunity.

Bloop, the purple octopus companion, brings warmth and company to the surroundings. Soft lighting, glass rooms, humorous messages in bottles, and a sightseeing bus make the universe feel inhabited.

I kept the supplied theme track intact and let it accompany the experience. A guided opening introduces the systems, while a separate Free Build mode gives players space to experiment and express themselves.

Game Instructions (launch steps, controls, and gameplay overview)
LAUNCH

Open the game page on a desktop or laptop browser and click Launch game. A keyboard and mouse are required.

Choose New Voyage from the main menu to start from scratch. Click inside the game to control the camera. English and Simplified Chinese are available in Settings. For smoother performance on laptops, select Low or Medium graphics.

GAMEPLAY

Start with a small space platform and Bloop, your octopus companion. Hook drifting cargo, recover materials, and follow the first-voyage guide to build your production stations. Craft products, stock vending machines for alien visitors, and spend your earnings on equipment upgrades and platform expansion.

Cargo and asteroids keep drifting past, so collect what you can while they are within reach. Free Build is a separate mode for experimenting with unlimited resources.

CONTROLS

WASD — Move
Mouse — Look and aim
Hold and release Left Mouse — Cast the salvage hook
Right Mouse — Recall the hook / Cancel
E — Interact, collect captured cargo, or toggle nearby lights
B — Building blueprints
C — Fabricator
T — Assembler
I — Backpack
M — Vending machine
U — Equipment upgrades
G — Move furnishings
R — Rotate
X — Dismantle mode; hold Left Mouse for one second to remove
J — Journey guide
Esc — Release the cursor; press again to open the pause menu

Station shortcuts unlock after constructing the corresponding station.

Progress saves automatically in the current browser. Export a backup from the pause menu if needed.

Gameplay walkthrough video
https://youtu.be/4PdSu2rDp5Y

Did your project use any AI tools or assets? If yes, please specify.
Yes. Gemini was used to generate the initial browser prototype. OpenAI Codex assisted with code generation, debugging, gameplay implementation, UI development, testing, in-game text, and translation. OpenAI image generation was used for selected artwork, including the main-menu illustration.

The project also uses creator-supplied third-party assets, including models, textures, animations, UI elements, and the supplied jam music. These assets are separate from the content generated with AI for this project.

Game direction, asset selection, and final creative decisions were led by Lance Studio.