The Abyss Stares Back

Tutorial Screen
Inferno Element
Storm Element
Frost Element
Blood Element
Plague Element
Boss Startup
Bossfight
Bossfight end

About

Play as a wisp in this top down bullet hell style game. Utilize elemental attacks as you fight and bounce your way through hoards of monsters. Can you defeat the Eclipse?

How to Play

Controls

WASD / Arrow Keys to Move
Right Click to Fire Projectiles
Left Click to Recall Projectiles
Spacebar to Dash

Dash through the starting barrier to jump into the battle! You can fire 6 projectiles at a time before having to recall them. Recalling a projectile causes it to fly back at you, damaging enemies in its path while also knocking you back. You will be assigned a new element every 20 seconds, which changes the properties of your bullets and movement while corresponding to new lighting, music, and sound design. Can you make it to the Eye?

Inspiration

Inspired by other bullet hell games like Enter the Gungeon, The Abyss Stares Back is a top down bullet hell style game where you play as a wisp fighting against the Eclipse. We wanted to create a game themed around light vs. dark. This led to us consider implementing color based mechanics which naturally evolved towards elemental attacks centered around specific colors. The inclusion of this game design element sets this project apart and creates a fun way to teach players how to use their movement options effectively.

Workflow

All art, music, sound design, programming, and particle effects were hand made under the 36 hour time span, with minimal AI being used to research filter effects for the background. C# was used in conjunction with GitHub to sync Unity versions, and ShaderLab allowed for the creation of more vivid lighting that differentiated each element.

What’s next?

This game is very much a prototype for a solid fundamental idea, and there could definitely be an expansion on this project that introduces more elements, implements a choice modifier system, and adds more utility such as splash screens and pause menus. Playtime is designed to be around 2 minutes long, but in the future this could also be made into an endless game.