GraviTilez (WIP)

Playdate

GraviTilez is a puzzle game in development for the Playdate. It is inspired by Puzznic, an arcade title released in 1989 by Taito.

The goal is to clear each level by moving tiles with identical patterns together so they disappear. This is made difficult by the fact that the tiles adhere to gravity and can only be moved horizontally.

Playdate?

The Playdate is a cute handheld video game console by Panic Inc. that has a black-and-white display similar to those of common e-readers. It doesn't have a backlight, so it works better in bright lighting conditions.

In addition to the standard D-pad and A and B buttons, the Playdate features an analog crank that can be rotated.

An SDK for the Playdate is freely available, allowing anyone to create and publish games for it.

Screenshot of Level 12 labeled 'Out of My Way!' Tiles are arranged horizontally in a narrow corridor.

GraviTilez Features

80 levels (and a couple of secret ones)
100% hand-pixeled graphics
New gameplay elements, like slippery floors, breakable tiles, and teleporters
Level selection and "skip" feature (in case you get stuck on a level)
Two control schemes: hold button or single-tap to select a tile

Animation showing a playthrough of Level 50 ('Lock & Key'). It features pressure plates that, when weighted down by a tile, cause all locked tiles to recede.

Puzznic is one of my favorite puzzle games, and I've repeatedly found myself gravitating (geddit?) towards coding my own versions.

By now, there is an MS-DOS version simply called Move! (written in Turbo Pascal; not published) and a Windows version called Japure (made with GameMaker).

Seeing how GraviTilez only works on the Playdate, I guess there is an unwritten rule that my Puzznic-inspired games all need to exist on different platforms.

Unfortunately, I haven't found a good use for the crank. I initially envisioned using it as an undo function so that you could literally turn back time. However, keeping track of everything happening on the screen was too complex and error-prone, so I soon gave up on the idea.

Screenshot of Level 74 ('Broken Mirror'). It's a symmetrical layout which features two elevators, several breakable tiles, and two teleporters.

This is another one of my projects that was almost finished but went on hiatus for several years. I had a working version by early February of 2023, and by June it was near completion, except for the music.

That's something I can't see myself doing (at least not if it goes beyond a short jingle), and I'm currently considering commissioning some original tunes.

Screenshot of Level 57 ('Preparation Is Key'). It's split into two halves and features an elevator, breakable tiles, a pressure plate, a joker tile, and ice floors.

Until then, GraviTilez remains a work in progress. Thank you for your patience.

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