Glitch Dimension - Broken Reality

A fast, 2D platformer game where shifting dimensions/worlds, tough bosses, and hidden secrets collide in a nostalgic yet fresh adventure.

Comment

Inspiration

This project started with childhood nostalgia. As a teenager, I spent hours playing Crash Bandicoot. I loved the fast-paced platforming, hidden secrets, and big boss fights. That spark stayed with me. Years later, I finally set out to build a game that captured that same energy but added my own unique twist, a glitching world where dimensions shift and nothing is ever stable.

What it does

Glitch Dimension is a 2D platformer built in Godot where players can:

  • Instantly shift between two dimensions to solve puzzles, avoid hazards, and uncover hidden routes.
  • Experience advanced movement mechanics like coyote time, jump buffering, double jumps, stomps, and invincibility frames.
  • Progress through levels from tutorials to expert challenges, unlocking stages via a scoring system.
  • Face multi-phase boss battles with escalating mechanics and health UI.
  • Collect fruits, hidden gems, and discover secret areas for extra rewards.
  • Navigate hazards, enemies, flip gates, teleport gates, bounce crates, and time-freeze crates.

The result is a platformer that feels nostalgic yet fresh, with tight controls, layered systems, and plenty of surprises.

How I built it

  • Started the project from scratch with Kiro as a development companion.

    • Spec mode: planned the overall structure (movement, enemies, levels, checkpoints).
    • Vibe mode: quickly prototyped mechanics and fixed small issues for the first working scene.
    • Hooks: kept the repo clean by auto-removing test scenes.

  • Built the core systems in Godot, including object pooling, save management, event-driven audio, and cross-platform support.

  • Expanded the design into dynamic platforms, collectibles, hazards, and boss fights, all integrated with the dimension-shifting mechanic.

  • Polished the experience with smooth camera movement, particle effects, UI transitions, and accessibility options like touch controls.

Challenges I ran into

  • Scope creep: balancing big ideas with what could realistically be built in the first version.
  • Debugging dimension mechanics: ensuring platforms and hazards behaved consistently across both layers.
  • Performance optimization: using pooling, sprite atlases, and memory management to keep it smooth across web and desktop.
  • Iterating gameplay flow: finding the right pacing and difficulty curve took many cycles of playtesting and refining.

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

  • Creating a dimension-shifting system that feels seamless and central to gameplay.
  • Implementing boss fights with escalating phases that genuinely change the rhythm of play.
  • Building a cross-platform save system and analytics layer that works offline and respects player privacy.
  • Turning a childhood dream, inspired by Crash Bandicoot into a real, playable platformer with its own identity.
  • Learning process, I was learning as I built. In the end, I didn’t just have a working game I had a deeper understanding of the process behind it, and in no time I could develop and extend many features by myself.

What I learned

  • How powerful it is to combine structured planning (Spec) with creative exploration (Vibe) when building from scratch.
  • How to design tight platformer controls that feel responsive and fair.
  • That balancing fun, difficulty, and polish requires iteration and player empathy more than raw coding.
  • Learning can be fun and with hands on something you have no clue about it

What’s next for Glitch Dimension – Broken Reality

  • More levels and worlds: expanding the game into a multi-chapter experience.
  • Refined boss battles with new mechanics and narrative context.
  • Expanded collectibles and unlocks to reward exploration and mastery.
  • Community feedback & playtesting to polish the difficulty curve.
  • Mobile release with optimized touch controls.
  • Design Special Graphics and Characters to make it even more pro.
  • Online Experience make it challenging with leader boards and even multiplayer / side by side challenges.

This is just the beginning. The core systems are built, the vision is alive, and the next step is to push the boundaries further, creating a platformer that feels both timeless and new.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates