Monochrome Heights Devlog #12 – Meet the Phasebots

I’m making a 2D platformer game, Monochrome Heights, about robots.

I’ve been unsure all week about what I would put up on today’s devlog. All of the ideas I had felt like they were veering into the negative side of things, with hints of previous posts. While it’s inevitable I’ll have to tread some of the same ground if I keep up the weekly pace of these posts, I decided I would frame this one around some characters in the game that I’ve been working on and keep it short.

A screenshot of two phasebots working. IMAGE CREDIT: One Frog Games.

The phasebots are NPC characters that the player will interact with throughout the main gameplay portion of the game. The game is set in a tower that is being built from the top down in between the phases. That may be a bit confusing sounding and lore heavy, so we’ll avoid digging into it for now and focus on the phasebots themselves.

They are a bit of comic relief for the heavier story, serve as a way to tutorialize new mechanics, and provide hints. They also give plenty of flavor text and make the tower seem more alive. I’ve been back and forth a bit on the exact details of the level design, but I intend to have a section or level that is focused entirely on the phasebots for each zone, or area.

A screenshot of Happy the Robot standing near a phasebot. IMAGE CREDIT: One Frog Games.

This past week I’ve been building and rebuilding the first of these areas to get a sense of how it should look and feel. The phasebots are still being shaped by their environment, and their dialogue is still being written, but they are coming along.

If you’re interested in following along in more detail, sign up for the Monochrome Heights mailing list here. You’ll get exclusive access to early demos and additional short updates. Until next time. Thanks for reading!

Share any thoughts on the game in the comments below or come find me on the Boss Rush Discord.

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