Beddin'Bugs

Beddin'Bugs
Submission for Sofia Game Jam 2022

During the development, we did some research -- There are approximately 10 quintillion bugs on Earth. According to the game's lore, they have rejected human domination and become the new rulers of the planet. After all, it's much more comfortable to sleep on a bed than to crawl in sewage or under rocks. But then another problem arises... If there are less than 8 billion people on our planet and we assume that they all sleep in a bed (which is basically not true) it still turns out that 1.2 billion bugs are fighting for a single bed. And this is how a conflict broke out between the new planetary masters and began endless tournaments for mastery of the most gracious places on Earth - namely, human beds.

The most spectacular fights are between stag beetles (with powerful jaws that reach 7 cm in length), and when they hold a pillow in their jaws, they sometimes exceed a meter and can literally sweep their smaller opponents off the bed. So this is Beddin'Bugs. A fighting game with unique use of a SLEEP mechanic (with a separate button for it). While being in sleep mode you are vulnerable to easy attacks; however, sleep also energizes you and makes it easier to defeat your opponent... Or yourself (play a video of someone running off the ledge).

How did we came up with the idea? We wanted to make a game with simple but fun mechanics, that leaves some room for strategical thinking. We came up with the high risk/high reward idea for the sleep mechanic and put it in a pvp battle arena. Eventually we came up with the theme of pillow fights and bed as arena. Since the arena needed to be big, the size of the players changed to those of a small bug. We wanted to focus on quality over quantity, which is why the mechanics are just a few. However we offer a lot of juice - sound and visual effects, particles and animations, etc. The gameplay is simple. Apart from the classic top-down movement, you can punch with right mouse button or trigger the SLEEP mechanic with the left button. The number above indicates the power level a.k.a. how fast you move. When you sleep for at least 2 seconds without getting interrupted your power level will reach 100. Additionally there are pillows that spawn randomly and block your movement or help you hide. You win by punching your opponent outside the bed or letting him fall by other means.

It is possible for new bugs to appear eventually, but - hey, no panic! Bugs are essential for our game anyway. It supports Windows, Linux, and unofficially Android, as well as local and cross-platform online play.