Devlog #4 – Fireballs, Portals, and Paws of Doom 🔥🐾

Hello again, adventurers of the dungeon!~ We’re back with our fourth update on Purrrcatory Escape, and things are heating up—literally! This sprint, our focus was on adding new content and improving both game feel and progression. We’ve made significant technical and visual improvements that we’re excited to share with you.
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What We’ve Done 🛠️

🔥 Fire Attack Animations (Now Actually Working!):
Previously, the fire effect stubbornly hovered awkwardly over the player, breaking immersion and obscuring gameplay. We’ve now properly anchored the animation to the attack hitbox, synced it with the timing of the action, and ensured it layers correctly within the scene. The result? A visually satisfying and functional fire attack that feels impactful and finally looks as awesome as it should. 🔥😼

🧶 Polished Attack Feedback:
We refined the attack timing and feedback system to make combat feel snappier and more responsive. Hitting enemies now feels tighter and more satisfying than ever!

💥 Enemy Hit Reactions:
Enemies now visually react when hit! We’ve added clearer visual feedback and small polish touches so that every impact is visible and rewarding.

🌀 Level Transition Portal:
A magical portal now appears when a level is completed, taking players to the next dungeon room. This marks the beginning of multi-level progression in the game!

⚠️ Portal Unlock Condition – Tied to Yarn Combat:
In Purrrcatory Escape, the only way to defeat enemies is with your yarn ball—and now that’s more meaningful than ever. The portal to the next level only appears once all enemies have been eliminated using the ball. This reinforces the core mechanic and creates a clear, satisfying link between combat and progression.

☠️ Defeat Condition:
It’s now possible to lose! We’ve added a defeat condition that triggers when the player’s health reaches zero, completing the basic game loop.

🗺️ Level 1 is Complete!
We’ve fully implemented Level 1, complete with enemies, layout, and objectives. It’s the first complete slice of gameplay and sets the tone for future levels.

🎯 Ball Rebound Mechanics Improved:
The yarn ball’s rebound logic has been cleaned up, fixing bugs and making it feel much more predictable and controllable. Players now have a better sense of how their throws will behave.

🧪 UI Polish:
We’ve continued improving the UI for clarity and ease of use. This includes small layout changes and better feedback during gameplay.

What’s Next? 🚀

Here’s what we’re planning for the next stretch:

• Attack Direction Indicator:
  We’re planning to implement a directional indicator that shows where your next yarn throw will go. This should make aiming more intuitive and improve player control during fast-paced encounters.
• Variety & Art Assets:
  We’ll begin designing and implementing new enemies, and pixel art tilesets to keep the experience visually rich and engaging.
• Ball Location Marker:
  In hectic moments, it’s easy to lose track of your yarn. We're working on a subtle but effective visual marker to help players quickly spot where the magical ball of yarn is resting.

• Sound Design Begins:
  We’ll start integrating sound effects for attacks, hits, and portals—because even kittens need dramatic audio cues.

• Background Music Integration:
  We’ll start adding background music to enhance the atmosphere of the dungeon and support the emotional tone of each level. Expect something quirky… with a hint of darkness.
• Hit Multiplier System:
  A combo-based hit multiplier is on the way! The better you play, the more powerful your attacks become—adding depth and incentive for skilled movement and timing.

Thanks for following along as Purrrcatory Escape continues to grow! Every update brings us closer to a playful, chaotic, and satisfying dungeon-crawling adventure where one brave kitten can change fate with a ball of yarn.

Until next time—stay sharp, and may your yarn always bounce true! 🎮🐱✨