MASKONAUTS: TAP' TAP' TROUBLE!
Tap the screen to make your Maskopod hover forever!
Tap the screen to make your Maskopod hover forever!
for quanty bandit, February 2026
for quanty bandit, February 2026
Maskonauts: TAP' TAP' Trouble! is a casual arcade game made with Godot to experiment with a new lightweight workflow (details below).
Oh no! The Maskopod broke and a crash is imminent!
Tap to hover, but it uses energy!
Collect coins to refill.
Bounce to avoid obstacles and enemies.
Survive to save Maskotio!
Features:
Cute handcrafted pixel-art design with a day and night cycle dynamically changing the background, clouds, and stars.
Unique OST and sound design from the Maskonauts universe.
Precise controls with jumps and bounces, 3 variants of collectibles, 5 enemy types with unique behaviors, and 2 game modes (Adventure and Infinite).
Progressive difficulty for an experience that is simple to play, easy to master, but hard to complete.
Play it on your browser, on PC & mobile!
How I did it:
Core Mechanics: I used this Zenva tutorial as a starting point to implement the core "Flappy Bird-like" concept.
Game Feel & Polish: I implemented character and SFX feedback, then fine-tuned the physics and gravity to enhance the overall game feel.
Asset Repurposing: I reused assets previously created for Maskonauts: Chat'Attack, including 2D sprites, animations, SFX, musics, and fonts, and adapted them to fit and enhance the new game setting.
Environment: I created new assets (backgrounds, obstacles, stars, and clouds) and implemented systems to handle their spawning logic, movement speed, and animations. I also added particle effects for cloud and boundary interactions to enhance the game feel. Finally, I integrated a subtle Day & Night cycle that dynamically shifts the background as the player progresses through the level.
New Game Mechanics: I added a High Score system with the specific constraint of saving data within the web browser. I also introduced New Collectibles with varying effects, a Victory Screen with its own music theme and visuals, and a new Bounce Mechanic. This allows the player to use the top and bottom of the screen to bounce at a tight angle and collect special coins.
Enemies: I have introduced 5 unique enemy types, each featuring distinct behaviors: stationary, patrolling on various axes, and pursuing the player on sight. To ensure a smooth difficulty curve, I implemented a dynamic spawning system. Each enemy is governed by specific rules, including minimum spawn times, probability rates, and customized attributes such as speed, field of view, and designated spawn zones.
Core Mechanics: I have redesigned the health system so that it declines with every jump. This creates a perfect balance between energy management and risk-taking. Hovering allows for precise control at the cost of higher energy consumption, while bouncing enables travel with minimal energy loss, though it proves trickier and riskier if an enemy or obstacle spawns in your path. By mastering these mechanics, players will find that progression feels more natural, rewarding both skill and perseverance.
Options Menu: I added an options menu with sound settings (music and SFX). I also created a theme split into two tracks, each assigned to a specific slider so the player can immediately hear the result of their changes. Additionally, I added an option to reset progression (high scores and settings).
UX/UI Design: I designed the UI to be self-explanatory, using icons and colors to ensure goals and gameplay elements are immediately clear at a glance. I also added visuals and sound effects to every button and action. Additionally, I implemented multiple control schemes for both menus and in-game play, including keyboard, mouse, and controller support.
Coding:
I used Claude and Gemini to help me organize my scripts, format my code, and troubleshoot bugs. I chose not to integrate them directly into the project's to ensure I was truly learning Godot and maintaining full creative control over the project.
For Claude, I regularly provided updates on the current state of my scripts with strict, clear instructions on what to add or remove and how it should fit into the game's general logic. I asked the AI to explain its reasoning at every stage; as a result, the responses acted as personalized tutorials, allowing me to build the game and learn the mechanics myself.
However, I encountered some limitations with Claude:
It occasionally changed var to const without notifying me (which wasn't an issue).
It sometimes added commands inside the _process and _ready functions without warning, which altered the game's behavior.
Furthermore, because I was using the free version, my prompt usage was strictly limited. Uploading my scripts immediately depleted my daily tokens, making it difficult to maintain a continuous workflow.
Gemini assisted me in navigating the Godot documentation for various settings and troubleshooting bugs and errors.
While it struggled with "hallucinations" and frequently forgot that I was working with version 4.6, it proved to be an incredible time-saver for drafting and refining text for social media, my website, and store pages.
Lightweight Workflow
As a ChromeOS user, I became a fan of cloud-based tools and started creating my own lightweight workflow, covering all aspects of game creation. Last year, I became interested in refurbished computers (perfect timing considering the recent price hike in hardware) and switched my laptop OS to Fedora Linux. My goal was to have a portable workstation capable of running Blender, Godot, and my other tools, to create 2D and simple 3D games while prioritizing privacy.
Maskonauts: TAP' TAP' Trouble! is the first game I created using this workflow. Here is a breakdown:
Laptop: I bought a second-hand ThinkPad X390 with 16GB of RAM, an Intel Core i5-8265U, and integrated Intel UHD Graphics. In short, it's a very budget-friendly, reliable, and lightweight 13-inch business laptop that I can easily carry everywhere.
Operating System: I went full Linux, and after trying different distributions, I settled on Fedora Workstation 43. I found it straightforward to install and use, and so far, I’ve had zero compatibility issues or crashes. It's a very impressive OS!
Web Browser: I initially switched from Chrome to Firefox but encountered sync issues between my desktop and laptop. I eventually decided on Brave to stay within the Chromium family. After tweaking the privacy settings, the experience has been flawless, with the exception of the Android version, where memory issues cause sound bugs in the game.
Cloud based Tools & Softwares: I already mentioned Blender and Godot, and I also added GitHub Desktop for version control, all of these have stable Linux versions. I even took the time to experiment with the Godot Engine Web Editor and, although I didn't use it for this project, I can definitely see myself using it in the future. Another tool I use daily is Photopea, the browser-based Photoshop alternative. I used it for minor pixel art adjustments on game sprites, but I plan to use PixiEditor for my next pixel art project and keep Photopea for general image manipulation.