Treasure Hunt: a micro game loop built with Cursor
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Exploration that turned into a high-tension game loop
I challenged myselft to see if I could build a game loop that felt immediately satisfying without requiring a tutorial or a long-term commitment.
Game Design
Interaction Design
AI Coding Tools
Responsive and Usable
The game was built to be fully responsive across mobile, touch, and desktop environments. Somewhat unexpectedly, it makes the mobile version slightly more challenging to play!
Progressive Engagement Loop
To increase the tension of the game, I implemented autonomous moving shadows that players have to avoid. By progressively modulating speed and frequency through each level, I created a procedural difficulty curve that keeps players engaged. There is an unlimited amount of levels effectively. As long as you can manage to avoid the shadows while collecting the gems you're good to go.
Sensory Feedback
Synchronized visual cues (changing background, jittering shadows and glowing gems) create a unique sensory experience. Many play-testers shared a sense of urgency and unease, when they first encountered a shadow in the game.
Arcade Style Leaderboard
The game features an arcade style Top 10 Leaderboard, for those competive souls! The database was set up with instantdb, which was, in fact, instant.