itch.io

I've got a more specific readability problem to test now: Gummy Gator switches between swiping away attacks and pressing keys to hit back. I'd like feedback on whether that change is visible before you know the fight.

On your first viewing, where would you swipe, and when would you start pressing the keys? If the glow or dazed animation only makes sense after watching it twice, that's useful to know too. A timestamp or a description of the confusing moment would help me tune it.

The intended sequence is to swipe the glowing arm or tail, defend through the combo, then press any key during the opening. A clean defensive sequence earns more time to hit back.

Three short clips with audio and the development notes. The GIF here is silent. These are development renderer captures with scripted inputs, not a first-time player's run. Gummy Gator is still work in progress; this post doesn't announce a new public build.

I'd especially like to hear whether you can follow the attack cues while also keeping an eye on the squishy at the bottom.

I've been working on a gummy alligator with a Punch-Out!! sort of rhythm. Your squishy is down in the fight now: read the attack, swipe the glowing arm or tail, then hit back while Gummy Gator is dazed.

A clean defensive sequence gives you a longer opening. I like that little reward, but I've practised the fight enough that I'm losing track of how much a new player can actually read. Knowing the next swing is coming makes a rather unfair playtester.

I've put together three short clips with game audio: a parry and opening, a combo and counterattack, and the finish. These are development renderer captures with scripted inputs, so the clean run doesn't tell me whether the cues are clear to a person. This is a preview of work in progress, not a new public build.

Gummy Gator devlog and clips

I'm tuning the handoff from defending to attacking next. I want that opening to be something you spot in the fight, without needing to stop and read instructions.

Hey all! I've been turning a childhood favourite and my family's squishy obsession into DDDumpling. This is where I'd like to keep the ongoing development story, including the bits that need another go.

In my first devlog, I wrote about Typing of the Dead being one of the most memorable games from my childhood. My family had recently become interested in, or probably obsessed with, dumplings and squishies. Putting those together felt like something worth trying!

The starting point was matching character prompts under pressure. Falling dumplings, quick inputs, little characters to collect. I've done some games with this mechanic on PC before and it's generally enjoyable but gets stale pretty quick.

Initially I was committed to only using the keys as input to the game. Even power-ups required using a matching prompt. This fell apart quickIy when pretty much every play tester tried to tap it. I then realized, I should totally lean into having the player tap and swipe outside of the main game key inputs!

With Slime, clearing the prompts sets you up for the drag that does damage. I want that change of action to feel satisfying. You've dealt with one thing, now get your fingers back onto the playfield and finish the job.

Octopulse takes that further by reaching down and stealing a key. I'm quite fond of how annoying that is.

There's a real tuning problem underneath the joke. If the player misses the theft, it might just look like a button stopped working. I'm trying to make the cues readable while you're already busy matching prompts and watching for the next gesture. That's the multitasking I want to build on.

Players wanted the fun sooner

One piece of feedback stuck: people wanted more direct access to the fun bits without having to grind back to them. Fair enough. If you enjoyed a boss, you should be able to spend some time with that fight.

Boss Time Attack lets you replay bosses you've befriended. Survival gives you powerups and more choice about how to keep going. Once those started taking shape, treating modes as a first-class feature meant revisiting high scores, collectibles and visuals too.

I've been working on tuned playability and title visuals so far. I want each mode to grow more distinct, with more music variation over time. I'm excited to find out whether players stick with a favourite or hop between them, and whether that gives them a reason to keep coming back.

I also added a dynamic changelog inspired by Evan Debenham's Shattered Pixel Dungeon. Showing changes inside the game is a fun little project of its own.

DDDumpling is free, offline, with no ads or payments. It's AI-assisted across code, graphics, sounds and writing. These are real gameplay screenshots; the Octopulse animation comes from simulator footage with automated inputs.

itch.io + Android download · Google Play · iOS App Store

I'll keep updates in this thread as I tune the modes. The thing I'm watching most closely right now is that switch from prompts to gestures: whether you spot what the boss wants in time, or only work it out after it's already got you.

Hey folks! I made a game where an octopus can steal the button you're trying to press.

That's Octopulse. You're matching falling character prompts, watching its arms, and then one of your keys is gone. Rude! Drag an exposed arm to fight back, and try to keep the rest of the run together.

DDDumpling started with two things: Typing of the Dead being one of the games I remembered most from childhood, and my family becoming obsessed with dumplings and squishies. I wanted that pressure of getting the inputs right, with a cast of little characters you'd want to collect.

The bosses gave me room to get a bit weird with it. Slime needs its prompts cleared before you drag to hurt it. Dark Divide needs a two-finger stretch. Fly Agaric needs a timed back-and-forth drag. I'm mixing prompt keys with taps and gestures so you have to keep checking what the rest of the screen is up to.

Beat a boss and you get a little friend for your collection. Even the octopus. Apparently we're forgiving the theft.

Players wanted to get back to the fun bits without so much grinding, so I've been building out Boss Time Attack for replaying befriended bosses and Survival for powerups and more choices about keeping a run alive. I've also been working on the modes' high scores, collectibles and title visuals.

It's free, offline, and has no ads or payments. No account needed. I wanted something my family could just pick up and play.

itch.io + Android download · Google Play · iOS App Store

The full boss trailer is in the itch downloads: 52 seconds, 60 fps, silent. It's actual simulator gameplay with automated inputs; the white circles show the touches.

The project is AI-assisted across code, graphics, sounds and writing. I'm doing the design, playtesting and tuning. Excited to see which bosses people get attached to, and which ones get their phones put down for a minute!

I'm working on DDDumpling, a free offline arcade game with no ads. You match character prompts, collect little dumplings, and fight bosses using taps and gestures. I was inspired to develop this game to give my kid and their friends a fun brainrot free (and payment and ad free!) game that leaned into the current squishy and collectable obsession.

I wanted to combine multiple input mechanics so players have to divide their attention between matching prompt keys and tapping, dragging or swiping on the playfield. I'm trying to make that multitasking feel fun and challenging, with enough visual cues to understand what needs attention next. As I've developed the game, I'm seeing that the target audience is probable 8+. There's a kid's mode too but I still need to tune behaviors to actually make it playable by ~5-6. 

I've been tuning the boss fights and would like feedback on whether that works. The full 52-second trailer shows all four. It's actual simulator gameplay with automated inputs; the white circles show the touches. The clip is silent.

Animated preview of Octopulse stealing a key. Full 52-second trailer, 60 fps, listed as "Boss gameplay trailer" in the downloads.

Slime needs a drag after you clear its prompts. Dark Divide needs a two-finger stretch. Octopulse can steal a key if you're too slow, and you can drag an exposed arm to hurt it. Fly Agaric uses a timed back-and-forth drag.

I'd particularly like to know:

• Does switching between the prompt keys and screen gestures look like a satisfying challenge, or too much to keep track of?
• Without the explanation above, would you know when to tap, drag, swipe or pinch? Are the cues clear enough to help you divide your attention?
• Does Octopulse's key theft make sense, or does it look like a control has stopped working?
• If you try the game, which fight feels satisfying, and where does it become confusing or unfair?

Game and downloads. The Android build is on itch.io, with an iOS link on the page. The full-resolution 60 fps clip is also available there as "Boss gameplay trailer".

Boss Time Attack lets you replay bosses you've befriended, so you don't have to repeat an Adventure run to practise a fight. Even feedback on one boss would help me tune the next update.

Thanks so much!