Starwave

Click here to read the devlog.

⚠️ EARLY ACCESS - This game is currently in active development. Expect bugs, incomplete features, and frequent updates!

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🎮 About

Starwave is a retro-style space shooter inspired by classic arcade games. Battle through waves of enemies, dodge bullets, and rack up high scores in this pixel-perfect action game!

Featuring a nostalgic PICO-8 color palette and crisp pixel art, Starwave brings back the golden age of arcade shooters with modern gameplay polish.

I'm coding this while following along with the PICO-8 tutorial by "Lazy Devs" (YouTube Playlist). However, I preferred to use raylib instead of the PICO-8 environment/runtime. It's not a 1:1 port — I'm adding my own touches and ideas to it. That said, I'm still retaining the authentic PICO-8 palette, 128×128 pixel screen size, and 8×8 base sprites.

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🕹️ Controls

Action	Keyboard
Move Up	↑ Arrow
Move Down	↓ Arrow
Move Left	← Arrow
Move Right	→ Arrow
Shoot	X

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✨ Features

• 🚀 Classic vertical-scrolling space shooter gameplay
• 🎨 Authentic PICO-8 16-color palette aesthetic
• 👾 Multiple enemy types with unique behaviors
• 💥 Satisfying visual effects and explosions
• 🎵 Retro-style music and sound effects
• 📊 Score tracking and life system
• 🌌 Parallax scrolling backgrounds

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🛠️ Technology

Starwave is built with:

• raylib - A simple and easy-to-use library for game development
• C - Pure C programming language for maximum performance
• Aseprite - Pixel art and sprite animations
• Custom PICO-8 Palette Shader - GLSL shader for authentic retro colors
• WebAssembly (Emscripten) - For browser-based gameplay

Platforms

• 🖥️ macOS (Native)
• 🪟 Windows (Native)
• 🐧 Linux (Native)
• 🌐 Web (HTML5/WebAssembly)

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🚧 Development Status

This is an early development build. The game is playable but far from complete. Here's what to expect:

✅ What's Working

• Basic gameplay loop
• Player movement and shooting
• Enemy spawning and AI
• Collision detection
• Score and life system
• Title screen and game over screen
• Sound effects and music

🔨 Coming Soon

• More enemy types
• Boss battles
• Power-ups and upgrades
• Additional levels
• Roguelite gameplay loop
• Leaderboards
• Controller support

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🐛 Found a Bug?

Since this is an early build, you might encounter issues. Please report any bugs or feedback - it helps make the game better!

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👾 Credits

Developed by Reaction Games

🤖 AI Usage Disclosure

AI-generated content has not been used for any in-game assets (sprites, music, sound effects). All game art and audio are handcrafted. However, AI tools are used to create cover art and material for social media pages.

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Thanks for playing Starwave! Your support during early access means everything. 🌟