Planet Looper

Solo - GMTK Game Jam 2025

Planet Looper is a fast-paced, single-button arcade game with retro style graphics. You play as a rocket ship boosting between the orbits of different planets trying to collect fuel cans.

Made in under 4 days for the GMTK Game Jam 2025 as a solo entry using Godot 4.

Play Planet Looper Now!

After 3 days of work, Planet Looper was published to itch.io and submitted to the GMTK Game Jam 2025. You can go to the page from this link or play right here!

Planet Looper Showcase Video

This is a gameplay video I recorded for the game’s itch.io page. It showcases all current mechanics. I plan to upload more videos covering design decisions, future updates, and a full trailer closer to the Google Play Store launch. If you can’t play the game, give this a watch!

What Players Are Saying

Art Direction

Planet Looper gradually evolved into its current art style. I began by using Deep-Fold’s Pixel Planet and Space Background Generator - key to the game’s visual appeal - but I didn’t want these assets to fully define the style.

I imported my premade menu template, kept the pixel-style font, and changed the colours. The palette - white highlights, purple mid-tones, and a deep purply-black space background - fit the space theme perfectly. Once I added score labels, the game took on an old-school arcade vibe. I leaned into this by adding a CRT shader, flashing "Click to Start" text, and an animated instructions screen with typed-out text to reinforce the retro aesthetic.

Design Breakdown

Call to Action

With only one control, I considered how to teach players what to do if they skipped the intro. I took inspiration from arcade cabinets that flash “Insert Coins” or “Press Start”. The call to action, combined with the looping ship animation, gives players all the direction they need.

Scoring System

Players score by boosting between orbits. Each successful boost increases the score by 100× the rocket’s speed at launch. This both feels more satisfying than a single point per orbit and encourages faster, riskier gameplay for bigger rewards.

Fuel and Encouragement

The fuel system drives movement: players must collect fuel to survive, guided by nearby arrows that keep attention on the action. To discourage mindless boosting between a few planets, each boost also consumes a small amount of fuel.

Fail Conditions

Besides running out of fuel, players can also fail by crashing into a planet or flying off-screen. These skill-based failures trigger a quick reset with a smooth transition: fading to black, lowering music, and allowing instant restart.

Aid through UI

Early builds featured a faint glow around planets to guide players, but feedback showed this wasn’t visible or effective. After testing on different screens, I added animated rings that fade in and out to clearly show gravity zones and attract attention.

Gravitational Aid

I hadn’t planned to implement gravity due to the project’s tight deadline. However, with core mechanics finished early and feedback asking for more player assistance, I added a smart gravity system. It both helps players course-correct and introduces new challenges, like being pulled off-path into danger.

Want to get in touch? Drop an email at:

contact@benbevan.dev

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