Retro-inspired game - The Invader

• 

  Opening screen

• 

  ingame

Inspiration

This Hackathon's them is Retro games, which immediately bought to mind classics such as Space Invaders or Galaga. I've played similar games and have enjoyed the simple but addicting gameplay loop, which is why I decided to base my project on it. I've added many a twist to the originals, which I'll detail below. I haven't had much experience coding or using pygame, so I've used a lot of assistance from Gemini to generate the code to implement my ideas.

What it does

In this game, the player is the invader, as opposed to being invaded in Space Invaders. In accordance with the retro theme, I've decided to keep the 4:3 aspect ratio. You can choose from 3 classes - reflector, hybrid, or the shooter. The reflector is quite different from shooters you usually see in these games. It points a shield in the direction of movement, reflecting projectiles that home toward the enemies it comes from, and shields from all damage. The hybrid combines the damage shielding(but no reflection) of the reflector and melee combat, damaging enemies around it, and the shooter is a simple shooter that fires projectiles that damage the enemies, similar to what most are used to, except it also has a lower dps mode that fires homing projectiles. There are different types of enemies, all of which move, behave and attack differently. Enemies come in waves, and beating a wave powers you up permanently. The end goal is to beat the final boss, which will result in a victory.

How we built it

I have installed python in VS code, and pygame in it. I've used Gemini to generate most of the code used.

Challenges we ran into

The code turned out to be much longer than I had expected, and initially had many errors that I had to debug with the assistance of Gemini.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I have very little experience coding, so I wasn't sure of how much I'd be able to complete this hackathon, but I'm glad I was able to actually finish creating a fully functioning game, albeit a simple one.

What we learned

I managed to learn a lot about what you have to think about when designing a game. I had to think about a lot that I never expected to, with so many little details that have to come together to make the game feel functional.

What's next for Retro-inspired game - The Invader

I have a lot I'd like to implement - Many more waves and bosses with unique patterns and mechanics, environmental obstacles or aids separate from the enemy on the map. The option to choose between different power-ups, etc.

Built With

• gemini
• math
• pygame
• python
• vs