Paschendale: Open Beta

RECENT UPDATE: A new game mode! New enemies and weapons! Improved visual design and UI! Also the zip file got too big so now it's a download instead of a browser game.

This is Paschendale (working title): a top-down shooter that started as a way to teach myself the basics of creating a game and has become a project I'm deeply passionate about.

Paschendale's pacing is a little slower than you might expect: enemies aren't particularly fast and, at least at first, your tank's movements are quite sluggish. This is by design: the gameplay is intended to be more methodical, and  the key to survival is keeping your cool and managing your resources.

Your starting weapon is slow firing, and not at all powerful enough to beat back the hoard: some stronger enemies won't even flinch at it. Some classes of enemy will grant you access to stronger secondary weapons, but ammo reserves are low. Using a Firebomb to clear some space, for example, means you'll have to rely on weaker weapons when the heavily-armoured FireMann approaches.

There are environmental hazards you can use to manage the space around you, but these can be a hindrance too. Barricades can block fire from enemy tanks, but your own Rifle won't penetrate it either. Mud can slow down soldiers, but the Tank Spikes that often surround them will slow you down too. Puddles of Gasoline can be turned into deadly fire traps with your Firebomb, but steer clear if the FireMann crosses their path...

My design philosophy for this game is about a careful give and take. Powerful resources can only come from defeating powerful foes, and overusing those resources can leave you high and dry when the next Big Bad comes over the horizon. Each class of enemy provides a unique challenge and a unique reward. Will you brave a run through the hoard to get to that precious ammo pickup? Or will you spend the last of your Gatling Gun ammo to clear a path to the health pickup? These are the choices that determine your survival in Paschendale.

This game is an OPEN BETA: the initial release is the most basic version of the game that I feel comfortable with allowing others to see and play. I have plans for more enemy types & weapons, bosses, level designs and game modes (as well as making the game far nicer to look at). Development may be slowly, as on top of everything else I'm learning HOW to do these things through the making of this game, but I fully intend to make a full release with a much wider breadth of content than one screen and a couple of weapons.