Hi there and thanks for checking out this post!
Can I just mention that I am new around the forums, so if this is classed as illegal advertising, I'm sooo sorry!

So I'm basically just using this chance to advertise a new game that is coming out soon (within the next couple of weeks) that I have worked really quite hard on. It's called Black Hole Raider and is set in the style of classic arcade shooters such as Asteroids (1979) and Space Invaders. I'm pretty sure you'll be familiar with at least Space Invaders, as these games were really the foundation of every game we play today: from Fortnite to League of Legends, Minecraft to Call of Duty, so I thought I'd have a go at trying to code and design a game in the theme of these classic video games that were really popular in the 70s/80s/90s.

So what's the gameplay like?
Well, you control a small ship at the bottom of the screen. The ship will stay at a constant y-position, but will follow your mouse's x position. This ship constantly fires shots going forward, so there is no clicking involved (based on feedback when the game is released, I may add a “click to shoot” function). Using a simple gliding feature, asteroids and planets fly past you, giving the illusion that you are flying through hyperspace!
That's all well and good, but what about the enemies? After all, enemies are what makes a game addictive and popular…
Black Hole Raider features 7 enemies, including 2 mega bosses. The game features a wide array of mobs and enemies to fight, who spawn regularly and will fire bullets and rockets of their own at you! Each enemy is designed in a different way, with their own traits, stats, speed, firing rate and hitpoints. This means you will constantly have varied and interesting things to shoot at, whilst avoiding being shot at! As well as this, due to the enemies moving quickly/slowly/at different speeds, it adds to that feeling of movement through a map, something I was really aiming for!
And finally, what about the aim of the game? In Black Hole Raider, you need to survive for as long as you can, to rack up those points and increase your score. If the game grows in popularity, I will try to add a cloud function, with high scores and things, but for now, it's you vs the enemy!

Artwork
For this game, it is set in a top-down mode, so everything is flat and 2-D. However, I tried to make this a semi-minimalistic (mouthful! ) game, featuring plentiful art, but with limited shading and overloading detail. I based my artwork mainly on the 1979 Asteroid game, which features block-like, chunky asteroids, a simple player mechanism, but cool gameplay. Soon, I will be releasing a project detailing the art involved in this game, so please stay tuned for this!

Storyline
Like all good games, you need a good storyline! I'm quite a stickler for this personally, as I always like to hear about the lore and details that is based on the hidden storyline of the game. Whilst I haven't included the following description in my project just as yet, look out for it in the Instructions or Notes and Credits sections of the game!

WARNING! Extremely nerdy!
The Universe has been conquered by the might of the ruthless Astral Fleet, a mighty empire that sprang from the remains of the crumbling and charred Earth. They set about enslaving whole nations, countries, planets, solar systems, galaxies, until they had an iron grip on the whole of the known Universe. To keep the population under control, and to make a bold statement, the Astral Fleet launched an attack on 17 galaxies, obliterating all their peoples. Civilians have tried to guess the Fleet's motives for the killings of literally BILLIONS of people in one system, but no satisfying answer has sprung up apart from the rather mundane “population control” theory. However, these discussions are held in hushed voices, as the Fleet have members everywhere, patrolling streets, bullying civilians and shooting whoever they please. Things have been like this for well over 300 years - the role of Emperor of the Fleet has passed down from parent to child, each predecessor leaving behind a bloody and murderous legacy. But the rumbles of revolution have begun to vibrate across the Universe. Members of all species have started pushing back the Astral Fleet, through small and subtle ways, each minor victory contributing and leading to the utter downfall of the Astral Fleet, and the rise of the Free Dawn, a new age of peace and prosperity. The first few rays of light are breaking through the ensnaring throttle of the Fleet. Suddenly, a new turn in the saga appears: a group of freedom fighters, the Raiders, broke into the Astracraft (the Fleet's titanic mothership) and stole secret and important plans which reveal where the power of the Fleet is coming from. Sent in a hurried and panicked transmission, the Raiders stated that the Fleet are sucking the life out of a gigantic black hole, the biggest in the Universe. At once, the rest of the Raiders set out from their base planet, with a battalion of over a million strong, and head towards the Black Hole. Millions set out, and after years of fighting, destruction, murder and wars, only one of the Raiders remain…
you.

Release info
I aim to release this game sometime in the week commencing 1st March 2021. There is a very basic demo version out now over here if you want to check it out. Honestly, this demo version is extremely basic, so please don't judge the real game by this, as I promise, it will be 100 times better!





Anyway, I'm done talking! Please please please, please check out this game once it comes out, and maybe leave a follow on my profile to stay up to date (if not, that's fine). You can see how much time I took in making this post alone, so I guarantee you, it will be worth it (hopefully!)

Have a good day and thanks for reading!