Byte: A 2-D Arcade Adventure

FirstIy, i would like to thank Artic Moon and Nestalgica for granting me access to an awesome soundtrack. Please take a minute to visit their youtube channels and listen to their original creations, you won't regret it!

GAME CONCEPT

Byte is a fast paced, hard and unforgiving (indie) game, that will surely prove your skills (and patience) against multiple (and somewhat colorful) enemies.

The game is not intended to be a time sink, it is simple and fun.

BASIC CONTROLS

- Use the <space bar> to sprint (your character must be moving in a fixed direction). You can use this move to break blocks (those with cracks or glassy looks). You may also use it to fast travel.

- Use <Z> to create a deflection shield around your character. You cannnot spam the shields, so you must use them in a timed fashion. You may use the deflection shield against any kind of projectiles or even bouncing enemies.

- Use <X> to fire a shooting star. You have limited use of those depending on the difficulty, so use them wisely.

ENEMY BEHAVIOR AND GAMEPLAY

- Sleepers (low threat): The lazy monsters will stay on place unless you disturb them by getting close enough. Once you get into the radius they Will show their spikes and try to trap you in a corner. Once you get out of its line of sight the chase stops. You may fire a shooting star, or try to lure them into an epileptic tile or laser ray.

- Spikes (low threat): Spikes adorn the walls of most rooms, waiting for the impatient adventurer. Some monsters (Big Blues and Z-Borgs) may destroy them. There is no other way to destroy the spikes, so try to avoid them.

- Yupees (low threat): These yellowish balls bounce into existence, waiting for something (or someone) to bounce into. They may kill themselves often by landing on spikes, lasers or epileptic tiles (not that they care much).You may use your deflection shield to bounce them off, shoot a star, or just wait for their death.

- Epileptic tiles (varying threat): You may find slow, medium, fast, permanent and "random" tiles. You must time your movements accordingly to avoid death. There is no way to destroy these tiles. The random tiles may give you a slight headache (laughs maniacally).

- Laser guns (medium threat): The lasers shoot in a predictable fashion (although they may shoot twice sometimes). You may use a star, or the deflection skill to destroy the guns (a bit risky). Lasers may kill other enemies in the room, so they may come in handy.

- Novas (medium threat): These monsters have a serious borderline disorder, and will behave angrily if you get to close to them. Once pissed, the thing will shot fireballs in all directions in a unpredictable fashion.The fireballs may be deflected, but watch out for the final explosion.

- Big Blues (high threat): They are big, and have an unsatisfied thirst for destruction. The movement is fast and unpredictable. Their huge carcass can destroy tiles (which most of the times means opening a way in to the endless void; out of the game). They may eat other monsters that get on the way. A simple star may finish them off, but it's easy to miss. They are immune to most stuff.

- Z-Borgs (high threat): They are the keepers and masters of the matrix that make up the game world. The masters can shoot powerful lasers and chase their enemies at the same time. They may also destroy tiles and are immune to most stuff (will need two hits to die). You may deflect the lasers and stun the Z-Borg momentarily. Once killed the monster will leave temporal epileptic tiles on the floor (watch your step!).

- The Thing (very high threat): The Thing awaits at the end of the road. It is protected by glass walls and permanent epileptic tiles. He may shoot fireballs in 3 directions while its two hands help him with lasers and rapid movements. He may also create a fog to protect itself from viewers (it's a bit shy).

TIPS AND TRICKS

- You may receive free stars and extra lives by collecting points (coins, and shiny gems). Quests also give extra points and are easy to complete.

- The faster, the better. You lose 10 points every few seconds, so you have to move fast if you want the freebies.

- You may use electric floors, spikes, rays and even other enemies in your favour.

- The deflection skill is especially useful in higher difficulties (you may save lots of ammo).

- I recommend the "easy" difficulty if you are new to the game!

Have fun!