Player orientation · design audit

Game Field Guide

A visual map of the seven browser-game experiments: what each one asks of the player, how a run unfolds, what already works well, and where the experience needs another pass.

Strong foundation Most valuable improvement Primary interaction

How to use this guide

Choose by the kind of challenge you want.

Every card shows the core loop from left to right. The audit is based on the shipped game code and interface, so it distinguishes implemented strengths from player-facing friction.

Arcade campaign

Brick Breaker

■■■■■■
■■■■■■●+

Clear a ten-level brick campaign, protect the ball, and use drops to build score and survivability.

Move paddle→Break bricks→Catch power-ups→Beat bosses

Mouse / touch or A–D / arrowsSpace or click launches

Works

Real campaign structure, combos, seven power-ups, boss encounters, local best score, pause, and touch controls create a complete arcade loop.

Needs attention

The debug-level selector and large HUD compete with play. Power-up effects are not introduced before they matter.

Best next step: replace the visible debug picker with a hidden developer mode and add a first-drop tooltip.

Play Brick Breaker →

Strategy defense

Path Guardians TD

›

Place tower classes around the route, survive fifteen waves, then adapt upgrades to enemy behaviour.

Choose tower→Place off-road→Start wave→Upgrade & react

Pointer / touch placementFive tower classes · two maps

Works

It has meaningful tactical breadth: difficulty modes, map routes, tower progression, enemy archetypes, speed controls, seeded runs, and active abilities.

Needs attention

New players face many controls, statistics, and tower choices before learning a first placement. The standalone and mobile editions duplicate the same game logic.

Best next step: add a three-wave guided opening and consolidate the standalone variants around one shared implementation.

Play Path Guardians TD →

Reaction test

Target Rush

◎↖30s

Hit the target as it relocates. Build the highest score before the thirty-second round ends.

Start round→Spot target→Click→Beat best score

Pointer / tap30-second rounds

Works

The rules are immediately legible, every target is a real button, and the persistent best score makes repeat attempts frictionless.

Needs attention

It is a single fixed challenge: no speed curve, target variety, accuracy measure, or keyboard alternative. The reset-best button is easy to trigger by mistake.

Best next step: add selectable difficulty, hit accuracy, and a protected score-reset confirmation.

Play Target Rush →

Memory sequence

Cipher Memory

ABCD1 · 2 · 3 · …

Watch the flashing four-symbol cipher and replay it perfectly through ten levels.

Watch sequence→Recall order→Repeat symbols→Extend sequence

Pointer / tapFixed goal: level 10

Works

The locked playback state prevents accidental input, the visual feedback is clear, and the completion target gives the small game a real ending.

Needs attention

Only four letters and one fixed pacing limit replay value. A wrong answer resets the whole sequence without a gentle practice option.

Best next step: add adaptive sequence speed, optional audio cues, and a casual checkpoint mode.

Play Cipher Memory →

Side-scrolling platformer

Pixel Platformer

▣●

Collect coins, avoid hazards, use jump and dash timing, and progress across authored platforming levels.

Move & jump→Collect→Dash past hazards→Reach exit

Arrows / A–D · jump · dashTouch controls · level editor

Works

This is the most feature-rich conventional game: pixel assets, lives, coins, timing, audio controls, touch buttons, multi-level support, and a sharable visual editor.

Needs attention

Play and level-authoring tools share one surface, making the first session visually busy. Asset loading is a visible dependency before a run can start.

Best next step: move the editor behind a separate “Create” mode and show a concise first-run control card.

Play Pixel Platformer →

Endless hover runner

Neon Rift Rally

◆◇

Thread a hovercraft through hazards, jump for high gates, manage energy, and grow a near-miss score multiplier.

Steer lanes→Avoid hazards→Collect gates→Push sectors

Arrows / A–D · Space / ShiftModes · seeded daily runs

Works

Its moment-to-moment system is strong: modes, themes, sectors, integrity, energy, pickups, near-miss multipliers, local bests, and touch controls reinforce the same movement skill.

Needs attention

The HUD and legend explain a lot at once. The endless structure makes a good run legible, but not a clear finish line for new players.

Best next step: add a short onboarding sector and an explicit milestone goal before opening endless play.

Play Neon Rift Rally →

Physics construction

Sketch Rig Challenge

╲╱
╱╲→▰◉◉finish

Draw a silhouette or assemble parts, analyse the rig, then test whether its physical form can cross each course.

Draw / place parts→Analyse→Run physics→Iterate design

Pointer drawing / drag partsFive courses · debug fixtures

Works

It is the most distinctive experiment: player-created bodies, material-like stats, terrain-specific hints, multiple part types, retry loops, and regression fixtures support genuine design iteration.

Needs attention

The interaction model is demanding before the player sees a successful rig. Debug and calibration tools are valuable for development but make the game feel technically heavy.

Best next step: start with three playable example rigs and reveal advanced construction and debug controls only after a first run.

Play Sketch Rig Challenge →

Implementation note

One game, three Path Guardians deliveries

Path Guardians TD also exists as standalone desktop and mobile files. They offer alternate entry points, but their duplicated logic should be treated as a maintenance risk until the shared game core is extracted.