The main takeaway from #js13k 2025: don't sink time into big, complex, self-contained concepts you don't have resources to finish properly. Start small but complete - then polish it as far as you can.

Next year's goal: get the game to playtests and tune the gameplay from there 🚀

I ranked 14th overall and an insane 4th in the Mobile category at #js13k 2025 with my game Catapoolt 🎯
👉 js13kgames.com/2025/games/c...

Not bad for a game made in just 2 days 😅
Huge thanks to everyone who helped, supported, and made this year’s compo so tough and awesome!

By the way, you can check out the awesome soundtrack by Katie Spogreeva as part of the official OST 👉 js13k.bandcamp.com/track/catapo...
Massive shoutout - she delivers bangers every. damn. year 🔥

All sounds & music in my #js13k entry Catapoolt were made in #pico8 🎶
Playing them on Web (desktop + mobile) was made possible thanks to the awesome 'pico8-music' library by Cody Ebberson - took a few tweaks, but totally worth it 🙌
Huge thanks for helping my game sound! 🔊

In my #js13k game Catapoolt, the “hard-to-catch” mice are actually Autonomous Agents 🐭✨
They roam the game field using wander behavior and evade the cat with flee behavior - straight from the fantastic #theNatureOfCode book by @shiffman.lol

The main source of inspiration for the Catapoolt game 🫠

Guess I owe you more tails talk! 🐾
Cat tail is implemented as Verlet rope with inverted gravity.
Mouse tails follow the logic from Emanuele Feronato's awesome “String Avoider” tutorial series - I finally found a way to sneak that into a game!
emanueleferonato.com/tag/string-a...

Surprisingly fast decisions under #js13k limits: needed cat tail aligned to body. Instead of proper math - pushing tail's anchor along normal between two adjacent soft-body points towards center (super unstable), I just increased body outline thickness. Hacky, but perfect! 😶‍🌫️ #gamedev #indiedev

Initially, due to the round head-collider under gravity, the cat’s body stretched into an egg-like oval. To squash it flatter, more bun-like, I fake-support the butt with an invisible floor 👀

When the cat's head moves too fast, it can slip out of the body 👀
I make the body catch up by adding overshoot to all soft-body vertices. Verlet integration shines here - momentum stays, as I also adjust the previous positions of the body points 🤓

The cat is controlled by a circular collider inside a soft-body shell.
In fact, all collisions with the ground and field bounds are calculated as collisions with a simple circle 🎓

Here’s how the cat, the main character of the Catapoolt game for the #js13k contest, was made 👀
Big shoutout to Argonautcode, whose awesome tutorial youtu.be/GXh0Vxg7AnQ
goes into detail on how to build a soft-body physics simulation #gamedev

Here is my entry for #js13k 2025 competition - it's called Catapoolt 🙀💩

After changing the concept twice, it ended up being made in just 2 days!

Play it here js13kgames.com/2025/games/c...

Beautiful cover art by @tangreee to catch the eye:

🐈‍⬛

Making a flight over the voxel rendered terrain-like plasma in 300 chars
'cause what else to do at home when you're sick 🤒

#demoscene #voxel #pico8 #postcart

gif/src: www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=164...

What golden words:
“The absence of limitations is the enemy of art.” – Orson Welles

I've collected all the resources related to my #gamedev activity in one place linktr.ee/volkov_ayyy
to make it easier for you to follow 👈

Photo of me with John Romero to get attention!

If you are in desperate need of a brand identity and your art skills are close to zero
#asciiart comes to the rescue 🥳

Soon on every splash screen of my games.

🎄Merry Christmas!

#asciiart #pico8 #postcart (300 chars)

gif/src: lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=159...