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!

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 🫠

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

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...