GAME-A-WEEK is a 9-week programme organised & run by Firepit. → Join the Ziscord

GAME-A-WEEK #6 | MAR 2 → MAR 9

TWO BUTTONS

Gif by US National Archives

Who has two thumbs and is this week’s theme? That’s right, this guy!

For this week’s theme you are encouraged to think about the input devices we use to play the games we love. Videogame controllers have evolved over the decades from having a handful of buttons to a vast suite of joysticks and trigger buttons; informing - as well as being influenced by - the kinds of games that are designed for them.

Many “fantasy consoles” like to harken back to simpler times by simulating the input layouts of classic consoles (e.g. PICO-8 / NES). Imagine a fantasy console where the controller only had two "buttons". What kinds of games would be designed for it? How could you reimagine more modern games that would use this restricted input?

As with the other weeks, the theme is not a strict limitation - you are encouraged to interpret the theme as creatively as you like. (e.g. a game for aliens that only have two appendages. A game where you can only scroll forward/back, etc.)

Check out this Google Sheet for more information/resources.

Quick Resources

• Super Hexagon by Terry Cavanagh: Great example of a “simple-to-play, difficult-to-master” game.
• Flipper Volcano by Sokpop: Pinball reimagined as a roguelike.
• Reigns by Nerial: Critically-acclaimed Tinder-swiping monarchy simulator
  • Sort The Court by Graebor was made for the LD34 jam and predates Reigns!
• Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat by Nintendo: A side-scrolling platformer reimagined as a rhythm game, played with a custom controller.
• UpSquid by 01010111: Another LD34 game - play as a squid who swims in clockwise/anti-clockwise arcs.

Other Examples:

• Search through games tagged Ludum Dare 34 (Two Button Controls) on itch.io.