2024-07-04
An implementation of Racetrack geared towards single-player time-trial play - with instant reset and undo. It is grid-puzzle racing, with online leader-boards and custom tracks.
I was enjoying the demo for Phantom Spark, a momentum-based time trial racer, and dreaming of a turn-based version of the game (with undo). The 4th Thinky Puzzle Game Jam's theme was revealed to be 'Extreme Sports'. And then I remembered Racetrack.
I saw some other implementations online, but didn't find any that satisfied me - they tried to mimic playing on paper too much. I like the way the camera trails the player in mine, and the relative motion controls enabled by it - you lean into your turns as you play! The basics came together quickly from that vision - driving through the state space like you do in a puzzle game. I pragmatically chose images as the level format early on, and luckily that provided an easy way to enable custom tracks right at the end. After the jam I was able to add leader-boards and a checkpoint system.