#asteroid game

Just a tiny tiny tiny progress update on the asteroid game. It really only took five minutes, but I now have sideways movement. Furthermore, moving sideways adds continuous rotation to the sprite.

Below is a video that showcases this as well as a better example of my 'gravity acceleration' system.

A very random and short one. I need to check where I am right now. I mean mentally. (No worries I’m talking with myself or with an idiot Idk anymore but probably both)

-> Guess my asteroid Aura’s sign or sign degree or house (check the signs’ description made by @astrologyduck if you need, I find it very accurate for me) and I will reply uou with a random song (but hopefully a meaningful one for you).

Rules

Just send your guesses, :)

You only need to guess 1/3 to win.

I will start answer once I close the game (please check the pinned post before sending your ask: if you don't see any link it means the game is closed!)

Hiya! Tekobi here! This post explains my apocalyptic derby game's basic mechanics and initial design. 

Using the player-centric design approach in chapters 1 and 2 of The Game Design Workshop by Tracy Fullerton, I created my satisfying user experience goal. Players must fight many enemies, which get harder, whilst dodging enemies as each round progress. Players will feel a sense of thrill and happiness using different abilities to defeat enemies as each round progresses. I was recently inspired by an old mobile game I used to play and only started playing again. Smashy Roads was the game.

References: 

Asteroid Post Mortem

Project Overview

The goal of this project was to recreate a version of the classic arcade game Asteroids using GDevelop, a no-code game engine. The development followed a guided tutorial, introducing key design concepts and implementation techniques, including player controls, shooting mechanics, enemy spawning, UI elements, and basic game loop logic.

What Went Well

1. Smooth Onboarding & Progression The step-by-step tutorial structure made it easy to grasp essential concepts like object creation, forces, rotation, and events. Each section built directly upon the last, reinforcing prior knowledge.

2. Core Gameplay Implementation

Player ship smoothly rotates and moves toward the mouse.

Shooting works correctly using angle-based force and a timer-based fire rate limiter.

Asteroids spawn at intervals and move in random directions, mimicking arcade-like unpredictability.

3. Basic Game Loop Functional

Lives system with collisions reducing health.

A functional "Game Over" screen that transitions based on the player’s remaining lives.

Scene timers control firing and spawning frequency effectively.

4. Practical Experience with GDevelop Systems

Created and manipulated scene variables.

Used object points to correctly spawn bullets at the ship's "nose."

Gained confidence with event-driven logic through real-time debugging and previews.

What Could Be Improved

1. No Win Condition or Level Progression The game loop continues indefinitely until lives are lost. There’s no clear victory state or increasing difficulty, which reduces replay ability.

2. Collision and Spawn Logic Are Basic

Asteroids can still spawn dangerously close to or on top of the player, despite the workaround using repositioning.

Collision feedback (e.g., screen shake, visual effects) is minimal and lacks polish.

3. Asset and UI Limitations

The game uses basic or default sprites and lacks cohesion in visual style.

The HUD is functional but static, no animations, sound feedback, or user-friendly indicators beyond plain text.

4. Event Sheet Scalability Issues As more mechanics are added (e.g., different asteroid types, power-ups), the event sheet becomes increasingly cluttered and difficult to manage without grouping or external events.

Lessons Learned

Use of Timers: Timers are essential for pacing actions like firing and spawning.

Scene Variables: Crucial for managing lives, scores, and other player-state-dependent actions.

Design Logic First: Planning object interactions and controls in advance makes implementation smoother.

Testing Interactivity: Regular previewing is critical to catch issues early, like projectile misplacement or spawn overlaps.

or What I Would Improve Next Time

If given more time or extending this project into a full game, I would:

Add a scoring system with enemy point values and high-score tracking.

Create asteroid splitting (large → medium → small), like in the original arcade version.

Design a main menu with difficulty settings and level selection.

Implement power-ups, such as shields or rapid fire.

Add background music and more sound effects to enhance game feel.

Introduce progressive levels or wave mechanics, increasing challenge over time.

 Final Reflection

The Asteroids clone was a strong introduction to building interactive games in GDevelop. It covered core concepts such as player input, enemy logic, event-driven design, and simple UI. While basic in execution, it served as a solid foundation for future projects and demonstrated how foundational game design principles (like feedback, control, pacing, and challenge) play out in practice.

This project not only taught me the technical side of using GDevelop, but also how small design choices—such as spawn distance or fire rate—can significantly impact gameplay feel and balance.

Game Overview This project involved the development of an Asteroids-inspired arcade shooter using GDevelop. The player controls a rotating ship, shoots asteroids, and manages health until defeat. The tutorial guided step-by-step implementation of player movement, shooting, asteroid spawning, and basic UI. What Went Well

1. Clear Structure and Goals The workshop provided a step-by-step pathway from setting up the scene to implementing a Game Over condition. This scaffolded learning made implementation manageable, especially for beginners.

2. Mastery of Core Mechanics

Ship rotation using mouse angle felt smooth and responsive.

Bullet spawning, force application, and firing rates were handled using timers and angle-based motion.

Asteroids had randomised spawns and trajectories, which brought unpredictability and challenge to the game.

3. Practical Application of Variables and Conditions Scene variables like Lives and timers (fireRate, asteroidSpawn) were well utilised. This reinforced programming logic in a visual, beginner-friendly way. What Could Be Improved

1. Spawn Collision Issues Asteroids occasionally spawned directly on top of the player. While a workaround using a collision reset was implemented, this solution wasn't fool proof. A more robust spawn logic avoiding proximity zones would be better.

2. No Win Condition The game lacked a progression or win state. Once asteroids began spawning, gameplay continued until death, with no incentive structure like levels or increasing difficulty.

3. UI and Aesthetics Were Minimal

Basic text object for "Lives" was functional but lacked visual feedback (e.g., blinking when hit, health bar).

The Game Over scene worked but could benefit from audio cues or a fade effect.

4. Clutter in Event Sheet As features accumulated, the events page became increasingly difficult to manage. Grouping or modularisation (e.g., using functions or external event sheets) could help scalability. What I Learned

If I were to extend the prototype or turn this into a polished mini-game, I would:

Add a scoring system with combo multipliers.

Implement smaller asteroid splitting logic (classic Asteroids behaviour).

Create multiple levels or enemy types (e.g., alien ships).

Introduce a power-up system (e.g., shields, triple-shot).

Replace default assets with stylised, cohesive visuals.

Reflection

This project was a great introduction to object logic, condition-action structures, and event-based game programming. The GDevelop engine proved effective for beginners, offering enough complexity to explore foundational game mechanics while remaining accessible without code. Completing the Asteroids prototype gave me both a tangible result and confidence in designing more intricate game systems.

Hey you! Yes you! Do you wish for wealth, power or fame? Well, join Junkrox’s 100th year worldwide tournament and become the greatest demolition derby driver of all time! Anyone can join! You play as the son of a former professional derby driver. Enraged at the scorn and defilement of your father’s name, you join the tournament and seek to reclaim your rightful throne.

Game Controls:

WASD for basic movement

Shift for tight steering

P for nitro boost

O to activate power up

3 Unique Selling Points:

Progressive Difficulty – as your score and stage increase, more enemies are thrown at you

 Unique enemies – typically, normal asteroids move in one direction. This game will add enemy types that move in multiple directions sporadically.

Fast-paced entertainment – experience chaos as enemies throw themselves at you. 

More details about the game:

Target audience: people interested in a post-apocalyptic setting, ages 14+ 

Game genre: Action-adventure

Game rating: M

Game setting: The game’s world is described as a post-apocalyptic place where the survival of the fittest is a reality—densely populated factory-like cities with looming towers made of scrap and metal. Car derby is seen as a form of glory and knightly conduct.

Concept art: