"A golden worm, so entranced in contemplation it has rejected the writhing motions common to its kin. It guards the bridge between this Plane and those beneath.

'A step into the pool of transcension breaks the body. A plunge shatters the mind. A swim frees the Soul.'"

  • flavour text of Thought-Matter Rifts

  • Saintly Hologram, advertising its choice of starting Soul to new players

The Games Foxes Play

(complete source code - mirror | view all previous posts | play 0.4.3 online in browser on itch.io! (very old))

A much quieter week, but it did not stop me from churning out fresh packages from my inner factory of unhinged ideas. Following up from my removal of all tiles... I am now removing health, damage and killing once again.

Last time, it didn't work out. But that time was a long while ago. This new design may might it work. In a style similar to HyperRogue, the player loses if all action becomes impossible. It simply works so well with the lore... Transcend beyond feeble matters like blood and pain. Unravelling bodies and calling it victory is so brutish. Only when the Soul of your opponents has been fully subjugated or blazed blank can one truly crown themselves the victor...

There are still many ways to defeat creatures, or to be defeated. There are threats of having the literal programming of your character deleted, of being turned into an exact copy of another creature and beginning to mindlessly hunt down a player that no longer exists, or of simply being stuck in a massive pile of entities preventing all motion.

Alongside this rework comes two new Souls, or spells:

  • The Last Saint offers to you a fragment of their ribbon-adorned vision of domination. Using this active ability causes all adjacent creatures to become clones of yourself with all Souls intact... Which leads to utterly insane chain reactions when used multiple times. Honestly, trying to even get to the exit when everyone is you is a puzzle in itself. Not to mention that every single clone causes an extra turn to tick away at each keypress.

  • The Data Breather believes true enlightenment comes by viewing the world through the perspective of all creatures big and small - and their gift allows this in a very literal form. It reminds me a little bit of Caves of Qud's domination, though it is more a soul swap than a full takeover. I hope these kinds of abilities will create as much fun as the polymorph mechanics in Nethack and such.

Also visible in these clips are a new freshly designed trap: the deactivated pink Apiarists remain on standby, while the red Song of the Watchers in the centre continuously scans all 4 entrance points. Entering the room immediately sends the swarm against the intruder - which may not necessarily be the player! Lure a terrible foe inside to obtain aid, or misstep and have your situation worsen? The possibilities are as numerous as stars in the night sky.

Miscellaneous:

  • Visual spell effects have returned, with greater performance and customization.

  • I was going to make another Soul/spell for the Heart Rended By Bladed Leaves, another spirit of sorts in the game that is supposed to be the manifestation of fear itself. It was doing a good job at flipping the entire screen and causing gravity effects, but there were... complications. It will be back.