Breakout has been reimagined with a roguelite/Vampire Survivors twist. Instead of a paddle, you control a constantly firing character at the bottom of the screen. Power-ups drop from destroyed bricks, enhancing your abilities like fire rate, spread, and projectile type. The game features a constantly increasing difficulty and permanent upgrades that persist across runs, allowing you to progress further with each attempt. It's playable in-browser and built using JavaScript, offering a modern take on a classic arcade experience.
The original poster is seeking resources that have proven helpful for others in their game development journeys. They are specifically interested in recommendations beyond the typical beginner tutorials, hoping to find resources that have helped people move from intermediate to advanced skill levels. They're open to any type of resource, including books, courses, articles, communities, or tools, and are particularly interested in areas like game design, shaders/graphics programming, and AI.
The Hacker News comments on this "Ask HN" post offer a variety of resources for aspiring game developers. Several commenters emphasized the importance of starting small and finishing projects, recommending simple game jams and focusing on core mechanics before adding complexity. Specific resources mentioned include "Game Programming Patterns" by Robert Nystrom, Handmade Hero, and the Unity and Godot engines. A few suggested learning through decompilation or recreating classic games. Several cautioned against getting bogged down in engine choice or overly ambitious projects. The consensus seemed to be that practical experience, combined with targeted learning of core concepts, is the most effective path.
This project demonstrates a surprisingly functional 3D raycaster engine implemented entirely within a Bash script. By cleverly leveraging ASCII characters and terminal output manipulation, it renders a simple maze-like environment in pseudo-3D. The script calculates ray intersections with walls and represents distances with varying shades of characters, creating a surprisingly immersive experience given the limitations of the medium. While performance is understandably limited, it showcases the flexibility and unexpected capabilities of Bash beyond typical scripting tasks.
Hacker News users discuss the ingenuity and limitations of a bash raycaster. Several express admiration for the project's creativity, highlighting the unexpected capability of bash for such a task. Some commenters delve into the technical details, discussing the clever use of shell built-ins and the performance implications of using bash for computationally intensive tasks. Others point out that the "raycasting" is actually a 2.5D projection technique and not true raycasting. The novelty of the project and its demonstration of bash's flexibility are the main takeaways, though its practicality is questioned. Some users also shared links to similar projects in other unexpected languages.
Summary of Comments ( 31 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43183131
Hacker News users generally praised the game's simple yet engaging gameplay, with several commending the smooth controls and satisfying feel. Some suggested potential improvements, like adding more variety in enemy types and level design, incorporating sound effects, and implementing a scoring system. A few users compared it to other similar games, noting its roguelite elements and fast-paced action. The developer actively participated in the discussion, responding to feedback and outlining plans for future updates, including mobile support and new features. Overall, the reception was positive, with users appreciating the game's polish and addictive nature.
The Hacker News post titled "Show HN: Breakout with a roguelite/vampire survivor twist" linking to https://breakout.lecaro.me/ generated several comments. Many commenters praised the game for its innovative twist on the classic Breakout formula. The roguelite and Vampire Survivors elements, such as power-ups and increasing hordes of enemies, were generally well-received and considered a refreshing addition.
One commenter appreciated the balance the game struck between being challenging and still remaining enjoyable, noting that they felt compelled to continue playing. The smooth gameplay experience was also highlighted, with specific mention of the satisfying feel of the paddle and ball physics.
Several commenters offered constructive feedback and suggestions for improvements. One suggestion involved allowing players to see what upgrades were coming next to facilitate more strategic decision-making during gameplay. Another commenter pointed out the lack of sound effects, suggesting their addition would enhance the overall experience. A third commenter suggested adding a visual indicator to show the effective area of the magnet power-up.
Technical aspects were also discussed, with one commenter inquiring about the game's development process, specifically the framework used. The creator responded that it was built with TypeScript and the PixiJS rendering engine.
There was also a short discussion about the monetization strategy, or lack thereof. The creator stated they had no plans to monetize the game, which was met with positive responses.
Overall, the comments were largely positive and focused on the fun factor of the game. The suggestions offered were generally constructive and aimed at improving the already enjoyable core gameplay. The creator's responsiveness to comments and willingness to engage in discussion added to the positive reception of the post.