Freeze Tag

My First Itch Upload!

Although I'm not new to game dev, I had never participated in a game jam before. This is a slightly more polished version of my solo-dev submission to Crazy Web Game Jam 2024. The theme was "Everything is a remix".  Here I remixed 1980's influences including:

• Atari 2600 VCS style backgrounds and sprites characters
• Commodore 64 font
• Retro synthesized sound effects
• Single-screen no scrolling gameplay
• VCR style overlay for the frame rate and mobile phone orientation notice (try it on mobile to see!)

(Check the Roadmap for other ideas that didn't make it in)

 

---

How to play FREEZE TAG:

Cursor keys or WASD to move the guy in the red vest.

CTRL key or left mouse button to tag other kids.

YOU ARE IT. So you have to tag all other kids on the playground before the recess bell rings.

Version 0.6.6 :

This is incomplete as far as being a "game", but it's more polished than what was submitted to the jam. 

Playable in most web browsers, on mobile with touch input, or download a fullscreen Windows build.

If performance seems janky, turn off the "CRT FX".

Roadmap

The high-level concept included additional levels:

• Escape the playground to a nearby forest where you get chased by an eextra teereestreeal creature while avoiding falling into pits and collecting snowballs
• Escape from there to end up being chased by the school principal--use your snowballs!
• Get back to the playground, this time armed with snowballs. 
• Game progression would be marked by starting a new "day" (that's why you currently see "MONDAY" appear at the beginning; next would be "TUESDAY" and so on... )
  

Also missing is "enemy" AI. Right now is really random chaos rather than "intelligent" behaviors. I had wanted to have them ...

• Detecting proximity to the player or frozen kids
• Making choices to run away or try to unfreeze a frozen kid
• Have additional idle states (like out of breath, or sitting down)
• Eventually even snowball throwing

So, is this worth continuing on? Leave your comments below!