Hey y’all! Welcome to our sixth devlog for Gimme a Hand! We’re team Octogroup, and this week we’re finally ready to present the alpha version of our game! From a polished start-to-end flow, updated music tracks, and fresh new looks for Tickles, we’ve wrapped up the core features and are ready to showcase what we’ve built.
Game Design Updates
Cutscenes
This week, we focused heavily on improving player guidance and narrative flow. We’ve added cutscenes to help establish the story and clearly communicate the objective of the game. These brief moments give players a better sense of direction while adding personality and charm to Tickles' journey.
We also made a key visual adjustment. the hammer has been repositioned to be more visible and intuitive to interact with. There is also a visual indicator, but we will go over that in the visual update of this devlog.
Level: Monkey Bars
One of the biggest updates is the implementation of the second half of our level: the Monkey Bars. This area introduces a brand-new movement mechanic: swinging. In this section, Tickles must build momentum and time their releases to successfully reach the next bar. It’s more challenging and demands precise coordination between players, but that makes clearing it all the more satisfying.
We now also have a complete start-to-end game flow. After conquering the Monkey Bars, Tickles makes a daring escape from the aquarium, bringing closure to the level and giving players a true sense of progress and accomplishment. It’s no longer just a chaotic playground; there’s a clear goal, objective, and win condition.
As for a lose condition? Well… the only way to lose is by not having a laugh while playing this game.
Visual Updates
Hammer and Godrays
We added a directional godray-style spotlight above the hammer to enhance its visual prominence and guide player attention within the environment. The effect uses particles to mimic dramatic god-rays, hinting at the hammer’s importance. Once grabbed, the spotlight gradually fades out and reappears when released, giving it a dynamic presence in the scene.
Visual Feedback for Grab-and-Pull
We also implemented a visual proximity feedback system where grabbable objects gradually display an outline based on proximity to the tentacle tip, following a smooth fade-in curve. Once within grab range, the outline reaches full intensity, and the object glows upon being grabbed to indicate active interaction.
Lastly, anchorable surfaces now provide clearer targeting feedback. When aiming near these surfaces, a raycast-driven circular indicator appears, helping players understand exactly where they’re about to anchor their tentacle, making the experience more intuitive and responsive.
Title Screen & End Screen
We also now have a brand new title and end screen! The start-up animation is hand-crafted using frame-by-frame animation, giving the opening sequence a charming, animated feel that sets the tone for the rest of the game. The end screen brings everything full circle with a proper close to the journey.
Tickles also got a major glow-up!
We’ve rolled out a completely new character design, moving away from the rope-like look and embracing realistic, fleshy tentacles that stretch, bend, and twist in a way that feels more alive and organic.
Each tentacle tip is now color-coded, making it easier for players to identify which hand they’re controlling, especially in chaotic moments.
To bring Tickles even more to life, the character’s eyes now track the nearest moving tentacle, giving Tickles a playful sense of awareness and making interactions feel more responsive and personal.
This redesign makes Tickles not only more visually compelling but also improves clarity, readability, and player connection, because who doesn’t love expressive tentacle physics?
Programming Updates
Implemented persistent gamepad rumble feedback for anchorable objects: when a player grabs an anchorable object (e.g. ground or climb bar), their controller now continuously emits a low-frequency vibration as long as the grab is held. This provides a tactile cue reinforcing the physical tension of anchoring.
Added anchorable feedback system: when a tentacle hand approaches the ground, a translucent ring gradually appears, becoming fully opaque when anchoring is possible. This improves clarity on grab & pull mechanics under our 2D-like art style.
Implemented stealing: If a player is currently grabbing an object, another player can override that interaction by initiating a grab of their own on the same object. The original player will be automatically forced to release the object, and control will transfer seamlessly to the new player.
Audio Updates
The sound design in Gimme a Hand has taken a big step forward. Not just in atmosphere, but in gameplay clarity.
We’ve added a new intro theme and end song, giving the game a more cohesive and satisfying narrative arc from start to finish.
Ambient audio now fills the world, creating a playful but slightly mysterious tone that reflects the environment Tickles is trying to escape.
Most importantly, SFX have been redesigned to provide clearer, more responsive feedback for the player. This includes:
Grabbing and anchoring sounds that are varied and satisfying
A sharper, more visceral sound for vent breaking
Tweaked interaction sounds to help players recognize successful or failed actions
To make these cues more noticeable and effective, we fine-tuned the pitch, length, and timbre of each sound. The goal wasn’t just to sound good but to support gameplay, helping players react faster, stay oriented, and feel rewarded for their actions.
Shader Updates
We’ve fine-tuned the outline shader for grabbable objects to make it more accurate and visually consistent across different lighting conditions.
Previously, the outline was calculated using color and normals, which sometimes led to inconsistent edge detection depending on the object’s texture or shading.
We've now switched to using depth and normals, resulting in cleaner, more reliable outlines that better define object boundaries without relying on surface color.
Next steps/Goodbye
Now that the alpha build is complete, our focus is shifting toward bug fixing, debugging, and external playtesting to drive continuous iteration. We’ve already conducted five external playtest sessions and will continue to gather player feedback, observe pain points, and fine-tune the experience. This next phase is all about polishing mechanics, improving clarity, and ensuring the game feels as smooth, chaotic, and fun as we’ve envisioned.