Fractured Causality

Worked on progression reliability and cross-universe puzzle compatibility. Work done on key door portal interaction cleanup, causal linkage reevaluation fix after universe switching, and temporal ghost co-op support in all universes.

Changelog :

• Added stat total_keys_collected; uses lifetime value with cooldown warnings
• Synchronized VariantDoor states and payloads in order to avoid any unintentional causal opening
• Updated collision system; phases ignored almost all objects but not the Variant Doors
• Adjusted the transition system to make sure post-transition causality propagation works correctly
• Fixed causal EXISTENCE dependency issues that caused incorrect causality propagation
• Added support for temporal ghosts: ghosts snapshots, GhostEntity spawns/despawns, particle events, EchoSwitch activation
• Optimized targeting code for using nearest target instead of echoes
• Fixed paradox enemy visibility issue; at least one ParadoxWraith should exist in 06 Fracture
• ParadoxWraith spawns guaranteed in levels 05-06 from all possible starting universes

Today, I worked on stability and performance at runtime. The main loop now doesn’t process the same entity twice, the order of rendering problems were fixed, and caching cut down on a few hot-path allocations. Also fixed a serious bug in tile map compatibility that made the program crash when there were mixed tile representations.

Changelog

• connected player and multiverse entities so cross system operations can be done using one wiring path instead
• removed redundant per frame updates of entities within levels as updating responsibility remains with multiverse/universe system
• switched player movement logic to physics based approach with centralization and added phasing bypass to that path
• fixed visual render order so that causal sight and particle visualization isn’t accidentally overwritten due to last-minute compositing
• added caching of UI font assets, sprite asset loading, universe tint application, and visual revelation mechanic surface rendering to reduce allocations
• normalized universe/paradox event payloads level, new_level, amount, type, universe, color and adapted relevant handlers for consistency
• fixed tilemap normalization routine in multiverse universe handling system so that legacy/mixed tiles would be coerced safely without tile.solid errors
• implemented cleanup of causal sight visualization on level transitions/reloads and exiting menu state
• fixed enemy contact checks so that right side or edge touch enemy contact properly deals damage to player
• rewound enemy position prior to player physics processing so that moving enemies stop on contact rather than push/pull player

Focused on improving progression and making gameplay feedback clearer. Removed two extra campaign levels, introduced enemy pressure earlier in a controlled way, and added a basic reward + key-door system so progression feels more understandable. Also rebuilt and verified the web package for itch deployment and font visibility.

Changelog

• removed levels 08 and 09 so progression now ends at level 07
• introduced enemies earlier with light tuning in early levels
• added simple per-level rewards (+10) with total tracking and level-complete feedback
• added reward persistence in player save/load system
• fixed key-door logic: doors now consume keys and show “Need a key” feedback
• updated level 01 door to require a key for clearer gameplay
• improved NEXT LEVEL button size in level-complete menu
• rebuilt itch web package and verified font file inclusion
• updated ignore rules and deployment checks

Known issue
pygbag build still includes .venv-1 files, increasing package size

Focused on combat reliability and UI consistency today. Enemy tracking now updates correctly from the game loop, level pressure was increased, and the UI moved toward a shared design system. Also added sprite loading support so player/enemy visuals can use image assets with safe fallbacks.

Changelog

• fed player position to enemy every frame and fixed enemy damage cooldown timing in gameplay update logic
• increased challenge in level 07 with more enemies and broader patrol routes
• added shared UI design tokens and reusable UI components, then refactored HUD to use the new layout/component primitives
• aligned menu and tip manager palette/font sizing updates with the new UI direction
• added shared sprite loader and image-first rendering for player, shade, echo walker, and paradox wraith
• added sprite assets folder/files and increased player/enemy rendered sizes for stronger on-screen readability

Known issue

• menu and tip manager are only partially migrated to reusable components, so some UI spacing/styling is still duplicated

Made a solid content and polish push today. The game now has more playable progression with new levels, collectible flow improvements, and cleaner UI/font consistency across screens. Also added project docs for deployment and workflow.

Changelog :

• added a new Coin collectible entity and placed coins in level 01
• added player key tracking (keys_collected) and key item collection event updates
• updated exit portal logic to require key count before level completion
• added enemy contact damage cooldown to prevent continuous instant damage ticks
• added shared UI font loading (Press Start 2P) with fallback handling
• applied new font usage across HUD/menu/overlays/debug and interaction prompts
• updated renderer tile visuals
• added levels 04 to 09 and registered them in the level loader flow (previously built but missed pushing earlier, now properly added)
• simplified and cleaned menu/HUD/universe indicator presentation and text labels

Known issue :

• there are still a few small text

In this update, I focused on making the game look and feel even better. I gave the visuals a refresh, so the world appears cleaner and more consistent as you play. The HUD is now easier to read, so you can quickly spot important details while you’re in the middle of the action. I also spent time refining the game and menu systems to make getting around smoother and more intuitive. Each of these tweaks might seem minor on their own, but together, they really help the game feel more polished and fun to play.

I expanded the game by adding six new levels, from Level 4 to Level 9. These new stages bring in tougher puzzles and really highlight the multiverse mechanics at the heart of the game. Players will now come across more challenging layouts and situations that require them to think on their feet, especially when it comes to managing paradoxes and facing off against enemies.

While building these levels, I paid close attention to making sure every object, enemy, and trigger worked as intended, so nothing would disrupt the flow of the game. After plenty of testing and tweaks, the new levels now play smoothly and make the campaign longer and more engaging.

This is the final update for my game project, and I’m happy to say that everything is now complete. I have successfully deployed the game on itch.io, which means the dish is prepared and the project is officially ready to be shipped to Flavortown. The game can now be downloaded and played, just like a real released title.

I also created well-formatted documentation and all the necessary project files, so anyone can understand how the game works, how it is built, and how it can be continued or improved in the future. This makes the project clean, professional, and easy to maintain.

In the final commit, I added important tools to make the game more polished and developer-friendly. I implemented a Tip Manager that shows helpful hints to the player based on where they are and what they are doing. I also added debug utilities, including a Debug Overlay for tracking performance and logs, along with timer tools to handle things like cooldowns and countdowns. Some extra utility modules were added as well to keep the code better organized.

With this, the game is not just playable, but fully structured, documented, and ready for release. This marks the end of development and the start of the game’s journey in the real world.

During this phase, the focus shifted from pure gameplay into clarity, visual feedback, and player experience. I built the full rendering pipeline, including the camera system and core visual effects, allowing the game world to be displayed smoothly and consistently across universes. This created a stable visual foundation on which all gameplay elements could be presented.

I designed the HUD, universe indicator, and paradox meter, giving players real-time information about where they are in the multiverse and how much instability they have caused. These systems make complex timeline mechanics easy to understand without interrupting gameplay. A complete menu system with transitions and visual polish was also added, making the game feel more like a finished product instead of a prototype.

The project moved from a simple engine into a fully playable multiverse game. I implemented the complete player system along with interactive objects and intelligent enemies, then built the level architecture and puzzle logic that ties everything together through causality across universes.

The player can now move freely, interact with the environment, and switch between universes. I added core gameplay elements like doors, keys, portals, bridges, trees, and special causal objects such as echo switches and causal stones, which allow puzzles to be solved by affecting different timelines. Enemies such as shades, echo walkers, and paradox wraiths were introduced, each reacting differently depending on the universe state, making combat and stealth dependent on timeline logic.

On the systems side, I designed the level framework and loader, allowing each universe to load its own layout, entities, and rules. I connected puzzles directly to the causality system, so actions in one universe can enable, disable, or alter doors, enemies, and exits in another. By the end of this phase, the game world became fully dynamic, where every decision made by the player has consequences across timelines.

This milestone transformed the project from a technical prototype into a true multiverse puzzle-adventure game, where player actions, enemies, and environments are all linked through cause and effect.

Today was focused on building the heart of the game: the multiverse and causality system. I created causal nodes, the causal graph, and the universe system so each universe can exist separately but still be connected. I also added the paradox manager that tracks when the player breaks the rules of reality. After that, I connected everything through the multiverse manager so objects in one universe can depend on things in another universe. This made it possible for actions in one world to change another world.

Today I set up the full project structure and got the game ready to start building. I created the main Pygame entry file, added the basic folders for core systems, entities, multiverse logic, and UI, and wrote the first version of the README and GDD so the vision of the game is clear from the beginning. I also added core settings and game states so the engine knows how to switch between menus and gameplay. By the end of the day, the game could open a window, run a loop, and had a clean architecture ready for real features.