About Anti-Back-Ward

Anti-Back-Ward is a 2d puzzle platformer made by myself, with assets created by my friends, for the 2023 GMTK (Game Makers Tool Kit) Game Jam. You play as a white cat in a surrealist looping world, trying to get to a floating mirror and progress to the next level. Throughout the levels you can find pink / magenenta platforms. When standing on these platforms and activating your special ability, they start looping (in a mirrored fasion) aswell. These are called the mirror portals, and they make up the majority of the puzzle aspect. While they are active, you can only interact with them, and a few other objects. If your move is used again, the mirror portal closes, potentially killing you or letting you interact with a new portal in a new place. --Note: Clean this up. Move gameplay to later

Links

Game Jam Version

Updated Version (Unity)

Java Refactor

Credits

Art by CodexCracked

Music by Jifyrex

Gameplay

Theming

Level Design

Level 1

The goal of a first level is to introduce concepts quickly and concisely. The layout of this level is setup to teach the player the scale of the players movement, and the basics of gameplay.

Level 2

Like level 1, this level immediately shows the player the objective, but it is out of reach. Because this level is introducing the looping mechanic for the first time, it's kept to one axis. The staircase acts as a one way barrier, further demonstrating the looping nature of the game (especially to anyone who misses the jump)

Level 3

This is the first level with a) the mirror region and b) any hazard. The objective is across a pit of spikes that are far too wide to jump. The only option the player has is to follow the prompt and press enter while standing on the region. While the geometry might seem a bit random, it is actually setup to force the player to stand directly on the region, show that the player can now walk through walls (with the help of a coin indicator) and that the player is likely to die in a wall if the exit the mirror mode in the wrong spot.

Level 4

This is the first 'real' level, though it keeps the concepts minimal. It starts with a small platforming section, before teaching the player about how spikes and walls are ignored while in the mirror region, through the use of a staircase that can't normally be traversed.

Level 5

Level 5 stands out as a very simplistic puzzle. The object is trapped in the ground below you, but there is a mirror region with a divit that lets you access it. Unfortunately, that divit does not line up. At least at first. By continuously wrapping the screen, due to the co-prime sizes of the region and the room, it eventually lines up.

Level 6

Level 6 introduces the last new mechanic, and is the first level with more than 1 mirror region. The new blocker enemy provides both an obstacle to be cleared with the mirror region and a helping platform as the player descends to the goal. Uniquely, the blocker can be interacted with while in the mirror mode, but can also be crushed by the mirror mode, as this level demonstrates.

Level 7

Level 8

Change Log