I’ve been working on this project for quite some time. The main engine and first stage are pretty much complete, so I thought I'd post them here. This is my first time sharing a game, so any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated!
About Lightningbug:Lightningbug is a unique curtain fire game that eschews many of the genre’s traditional elements in favor of a faster-paced, more involved environment. If you try to play it like your run-of-the-mill bullet hell shmup, you won't get very far.
A bullet-blocking mechanic allows spawning patterns to grow incredibly dense and intricate, while encouraging a high risk, high reward style of play.
Stage progression utilizes a flow-oriented approach to difficulty, quickly moving the player up or down based on their current level of skill. This keeps the game challenging without resorting to a game-over screen. The game's visuals and music advance in this fashion as well.
The stage in the demo,
Scarlet Pirouette, is the first of seven color-themed enemies. Intended to be the easiest in the game, it spawns only two simple varieties of bullets and the transitions it goes through are relatively straightforward. You can get a basic idea of them in the screenshots, or just try it for yourself by playing it
here or downloading one of the desktop builds below.
Screenshots: