Theme: Positioning

May 2025 Entry to Pursuing Pixels James Jam Games Gam #4

How it fits the theme: Positioning oneself correctly is vital to winning the game.

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The Game

You're the Captain of the USS Greyhound, a Union ironclad on patrol in 1862. However, when you came across a strange battered frigate, you can't help but wonder; is this ship really what it seems to be?

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Controls

Move up & down using the mouse

[Z] to fire cannonball upwards

[X] to fire cannonball downwards

[Left Shift] to speed up (Phase 2 Only)

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Background & Inspiration

The game is largely inspired by the song "The Flying Dutchman" by the Jolly Rogers! The song's narrator retells an encounter with the mythical Flying Dutchman, and - after accepting to deliver letters from the ghostly frigate - was immediately chased by a storm. Luckily, our narrator survived. Upon opening the letters, however, the crew found that they were addressed to men that have long since died...Creepy :)

The following is the excerpt of the chorus:

Turn this ship around me boys
Turn around and run!
That storm it wants a battle
And it's sure that we're outgunned!
What of the ship that's out there
Do we leave her to the gale?
She's called the Flying Dutchman
And it's rage that fills her sails!

Aside from that, the game is set during the Civil War period (1862, to be particular) because the aesthetics of the ironclad is very appealing. After all, sailors by then may have forgotten the superstitions surrounding the Flying Dutchman, so perhaps they may fall to the letter trick... :)

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Pre-Jam Assets

Only the frame and the SFX (not music) are created prior to the jam

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Credits

Main soundtrack - by XTowel (Discord) (Soundcloud)

Sound Effects SFX - Free Unity "Casual Game SFX Pack" assets by Dustyroom

Player hit SFX - "8bit Gun Shots Sound Effect Retro Games Soundholder" by SoundHolder on Youtube

Lightning and Cannonfire SFX - "8 Bit Game Sounds" by Testament Creative on Youtube

All art & animations are made by me (Discord) (Instagram)