Kabonk! News

To be in control, is something we may try very hard every day. Unfortunately, it is not always in our grip. But here, in Kabonk!, you have all the tools. This one is for you, M.

And speaking of control(s). We've added much more ways to play the game. Beside the (Xbox) controller, you can now play using just the mouse, just the keyboard, and.... with the Steam Deck!

[h2]Steam Deck[/h2]
The Steam Deck is working and running on the (full) 60fps! We only had to install some c++ runtime module, which is included in the build. We want to get rit of that, but for now it at least works! Thanks for letting borrow your Deck, F.

On the topic of 60fps, we've made numerous improvements and doubled the average FPS! Which is great to get this game on as many devices as possible!

[h2]Compatibility mode (one-handed)[/h2]
Kabonk! is designed to be playable with one hand, whether you're using just the mouse, just the keyboard, or even the Steam Deck and controllers, though they can be a bit heavy for one-handed use.

By the way, If you're a one-handed gamer, please reach out. I'll get you a key and love some feedback.

No one was intentionally harmed for the making of this game.

[h2]Hello, 你好, こんにちは[/h2]
While Kabonk! aims to have minimal written and spoken text, we would like to translate it to Traditional Chinese and Japanese. The store page and trailer have been translated, using AI and Google Translate but are open for improvements! The game itself contains two lines of text from the Unreal Engine license, which have been translated, but I've not yet find a way to test it.

Unfortunately, I don't understand this.

[h2]Leaderboards[/h2]
We've leaderboards working! This was way more work than needed (just a 'bug' that we couldn't find on internet) but way more satisfying than hoped for. Now it is a matter of how to implement it. For the demo, we're considering a single leaderboard for all 10 levels (based on completion time) and individual leaderboards for each level in the final game. We hope to bring back the nostalgic feel of high scores from retro arcade machines.
(Bringing back memories from the '90s when after a night of pool we find ourselves beating high-scores in those classic arcade machines).

[h2]Achievements[/h2]
Though not yet promoted, we're considering adding achievements to the game. We have some fun and feasible ideas in mind, so stay tuned!

[h2]General improvements and fixes[/h2]
- fixed issue where the game couldn't continue after a game over
- fixed issue where music stopped playing after starting a level
- improved camera lock when level starts
- improved performance (doubling FPS!)
- improved visuals for lives & current level

- added more sound effects
- finished the first 10 (demo) levels
- added Japanese and Chinese (traditional) translations
- added a new powerup: time-control
- we released our announcement trailer! Check it on our Steam Page.

Until next time!

80 % of the 80 % .. of the 80 % of what we think we need. And then there is still a lot more, because making things known you don't know can be a subject of its own.

But today, we have only good things to share! Let's start with the fact that the game works—at least the basics. The build is solid, and the flow from start to the end of the demo is smooth.

Normally, you don't think about what happens if you lose a life or what occurs when you lose all your lives. The game guides you as a player, and you follow along. As a developer, though, managing lives, tracking save games, determining when a level is finished, handling what happens when you lose all lives, pausing, or continuing a game—this entire flow can be a tedious job, especially if you're trying to avoid using a UI.

Here are some seemingly small details that took us quite a while to build. Hopefully, they'll stay.

Pause Game
The only options are to leave or continue. For now, the game overflow is similar, but without the continue option.


Menu
Options include music control, exiting the game, and selecting worlds/levels.


Losing Lives
An effect visually shows the loss in-game.


Completing a Level
All important level items are removed.


Power! ups.
Last but not least. We have been finalizing the look and feel of the power ups (pickups). Currently we have 4 worked out but of course more will follow.


All images are work in progress and subject to change. But hopefully, you enjoyed seeing our progress!

Until next time!

Switching between work, family, and Kabonk! has kept us busy, but we're excited to share some new developments with you and speaking of switches... let's dive into the flip-flops.

Flip, Flop & Pressure
One of the core mechanics in the game involves solving puzzles and finding clever ways to clear levels as quickly as possible. But more on speed later.

The interaction mechanics include switches, buttons, and pressure plates—three different interactables with slightly varied outcomes. Pressure plates are only active when something is on them, while switches can be toggled on and off. Buttons function similarly to switches but are limited to a single interaction. These obstacles provide players to complete levels in different ways.



On the Other Hand...
We've been exploring the idea of making this a one-handed game without a traditional UI. This means you should be able to play from start to exit with one hand, leaving the other free for a snack, drink or a scratch on the head.

The challenge lies in implementing pause, continue, and exit functions. We've got the exit function mostly working, but pause/continue is proving more difficult. Pausing without a UI requires an in-game interaction system that allows movement and animation while the game is paused. However, pausing typically means no tick functions, no physics, and no animation so we need a more custom solution...



Leaderboards
We're still in discussion on how to implement a possible leaderboard and what the score should be. Hitting bricks harder lead to more points? Have special bricks that should be cleared as fast as possible? Or a more straightforward idea of rank it by time to complete levels.
And another idea is to have a leaderboard for each level (and maybe have the results next to it!) or an overal leaderboard.
So much choice.

So, there's still a lot of work to do and time is running out... Until next time!

With Steam's Next Fest around the corner, we're getting a demo ready, packed with as much bling, pang, and (Ka)bonk as we can manage. It'll give you a good taste of the game, but just enough to keep that inner craving for the full experience alive. For that, you'll have to wait for the final release!

[h2]The Bling & Pang[/h2]
Hmm, these GIFs don't seem to make any sounds...

We've been adding and fine-tuning the VFX, along with matching sound effects for when you break bricks. This is crucial, as it's one of the main ways to deliver feedback to the players.

[h2]Kabonk!?[/h2]
One of the goals in Kabonk! is to make the game playable with just one hand. The other? Physics-based ball manipulation. But what does that actually mean?
It means everything should be manageable with either a mouse or keyboard (or one side of a controller—though we're not quite there yet). But not both at the same time.
We're pushing the idea further by using the same controls for both the game and the menu. But why stop there? Do we even need a traditional menu (or UI)?
To test this, we've been experimenting with portals for traveling between levels—and even for leaving the game.


The other thing we're focusing on is communicate important information through in-game objects. For example, your number of lives is now displayed in a tube right on the screen.


There is a lot more work, so until next time...