TGS: An Elevated Encore

The visual style balanced nostalgia and innovation. We reimagined static IP assets as dynamic elements within a living arcade ecosystem. The retro-futurist aesthetic harmonised the identity of Google Play titles with visual tropes of 8-bit space shooters, ensuring the web experience felt visually consistent with the physical installation at TGS.

To deepen player engagement, we identified where additional animation would add value. Seven distinct maps, hidden stages, intense boss battles, and the addition of public and secret leaderboards, were infused with additional animated features to strengthen the immersive feel, even from home.

Built from scratch with Phaser 4 and Matter.js physics, the game feels precise and highly-responsive. A custom Tiled map editor integration allowed for attack pattern and level refinement, a technical foundation that was crucial for balancing difficulty and playability.

To ensure total immersion and playability, we iterated game variables throughout development. By adjusting game mechanics like the boss attack angles and frequency, we optimised gameplay to hit the sweet spot between difficulty and delight.