Steamcycles
※ NOTE: Thanks to feedback during the jam, we recommend you read the simplified controls and instructions in the description instead of the one in-game. Thank you! This is already taken care of for the post-jam version!
It was tricky to try to explain AND not overwhelm you AND not bore you at the same time within the limited time we have... definitely wasn't thinking straight!
This is an entry for GMTK Game Jam 2025.
A relaxed 4-day game jam, making a game from scratch.
Keep your steam engine in check and venture as if nothing is stopping you!
With a bit of effort on your steam engine, you can go as far as you can see~
Go as far as you can before the day ends!
CONTROLS:
To keep it simple: grab particles and shoot them into the corresponding gauge both to the left and right. Once there's a supply of both, steam will generate. Release steam now and then to make energy and get some distance in before the day ends! (2 minutes)
Just be careful not to get too much heat in balance for too long, keeping the steam gauge full, or shooting in the wrong particle. Don't overheat!
- Mouse Left - Aim + Grab particles (up to 3)
- A / ← - Shoot to heat gauge
- D / → - Shoot to water gauge
- W / ↑ - Shoot outwards
- S / ↓ - Release steam
See questions below on how to manage your engine better!
CREDITS:
- @fiaKaiera: Game Developer + Art & Sound Design
- @RoseVulpix: Game Co-developer (Programming + Concept)
ASSETS USED:
- Kenney: Fonts (Kenney Pixel, Kenney Mini)
- Kerrie Lake: Color Palette (Resurrect 32, modified)
- Pixabay: Sound Effects
- Steam SFX - freesound_community [1/2], VoiceBosch [1]
- Particle SFX - freesound_community [1/2], DOBCommunications [3]
- Grabber SFX - freesound_community [1/2/3]
- Ambience BGS - freesound_community [1/2/3]
- Engine SFX - freesound_community [1/2/3/4/5/6], LazyChillZone [1], Moniker_Subriquet [1], Derrickmckinnon [1]
- Gauges SFX - SoundReality [1], freesound_community [1], Universfield [1]
- Ratch Sound SFX - TanwerAman [1]
QUESTIONS:
Q: How do you even get farther?!
A: Having high heat in balance before you release steam actually does give more energy!
(Except you have to fight through the high heat...)
Q: I keep overheating.. how do I manage that?
A: Don't forget to keep releasing steam, having high cold in balance will keep your overheat down!
(Except you will suffer from the lack of energy pushing you forward...)
Q: Who's the mouse?
A: They're named Ratch! They're specifically made for this game~
Q: What's your farthest distance during the jam?
A: 3805.93m (Kaiera)
If you have any questions, feel free to ask on Bluesky: @kaiera.furria.net
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Comments
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for being put together in only 4 days, this game is really quite good
also I love ratch <3
though I guess if I had to give criticism--
after the initial challenge of filling up the "speed bar" to the max optimally as fast as possible (which is very hard), just maintaining it near max is pretty easy, since you don't really need that much steam, so overheating isn't really an issue
you can just repeatedly grab any particle and release it outwards to cause the entire box to shake and particles to fly everywhere at high speeds, filling up both water and heat with little effort
so once you get used to the correct timings to release steam, the latter 3/4ths of the day on a good run is mostly autopilot
I wonder how a version of this game would function if the particles *had* to be manually fired into the containers
very nice game regardless though, thanks for the awesome work~
(current high score: 4132.04m)