WILL (GlobalSingeing)

A 40-page Game Design Document with all the information you would ever need is available AT THIS LINK. Story and bosses are spoiled here, so tread lightly if you wish to go in spoiler-free. Design notes and change log are also kept here.

Mask Teasers! Not too many spoilers ;)

WILL

This is a Boss Game, which is a Niche genre of games consisting only of Boss Fights (example: Shadow of the Colossus). You will fight these bosses with positioning and skill. Your health and attacks remain the same throughout the game, so the only way to win is to master the controls. Every boss has been tested and defeated in 0-2 deaths, so it is possible! Maybe not on your first run, though...

IMPORTANT! This game is very hard, and you will surely die and get frustrated many times. This is intentional, as you really feel the accomplishment when you finally beat the boss!

I will not spoil anything about the Story here, but you may read the GDD at the top if you want an introduction. However, I can reveal your goal: you will piece together the backstory as you kill 10 bosses, claiming their masks for your collection. 

This game is by me, Elijah Budd. It's a passion project of mine and a portfolio piece for getting into colleges. I am a high school student making this game, and my first big game at that, on a $0 dollar budget by myself as a side project, so don't expect anything mind-blowing. That said, under the conditions, it came out rather well. However, being a busy single developer, there are a few bugs to note:
Notable Known Bugs

• Lower end computers may experience a lag spike upon entering a boss room and when a boss is defeated. The lag spike is known and should not be too hindering, as it quickly clears up.
• If the player is holding the up key when they respawn, they will stand immediately and be unable to move. To fix this, simply restart the game and it will load right back where you were. To avoid this issue, do not hold the up key when the screen is fading in.
• The player can dash past the edge or get stuck on objects sometimes. If this happens, they may easily dash back in. If a boss gets stuck, however, the player may need to restart the game. No progress will be lost when doing so, saves are automatic.
• Apostrophes don't always render in text boxes.
• !!! AHOU (7th boss, Lime green) cutscenes reset when you reload the game
• Death counts sometime reset on reload for current boss.

Controls
The controls are hinted in the game, but I will note them here as well for good measure.

• Move with WASD
• Interact / Pick up / Talk / Dash with Spacebar
• Pause with P
• Attack with Arrow Keys
• Up : Slash (Third attack can chain to any other finisher)
• Left: Long (Longer attack with reach, finisher is a charge)
• Right: Strong (High-damage attack but requires more time to execute)
• Down: Burst (Low-damage but high range and knock back, no chain combos)
• Attacks may be chained together, up to three times. The arrow key must be pressed during the animation of the previous attack.

Tip: Bosses have stamina. They can only use their most powerful moves at high stamina, so if you want to prevent their use, bait them into using smaller moves by passing in front of them.

Thank you for checking out my game! :)
If anyone beats it and is willing to share their scores, please screenshot the final screen with all your death counts and upload it to the discussion below so other players may compare your skill to their's.Cheers!