In Defiance of Pavement

While technically an arcade action game, In Defiance of Pavement is ultimately a relaxing, innocent title. Use your thumb to weave a determined flower bud through layers of pavement and moving rocks. Be wary of your stem; it’s vulnerable to rocks too!

Features

• Immediate accessible movement- and avoidance-based gameplay
• Charming crayon-style aesthetic
• Soothing soundtrack courtesy of Robert Shaw

Behind the Scenes

In Defiance of Pavement was created for GBCJam #6 in the span of about 12 hours (plus a couple extra to add audio). The jam’s theme was “Hope,” which, in addition to informing the game’s overall tone, is why you’re periodically given glimpses of the sky between the many layers of pavement, and why even the “game over” message is framed positively.

It was developed in Unity using C#. All of the art and audio was made by myself, except for the main gameplay theme, “Beneath the Shadows,” which was created by Robert Shaw.

The jam featured a list of diversifiers that would award a totally-real “Hard Mode Achievement” if included. One of these that I intended to do was create all art assets while blindfolded, with the crayon aesthetic implemented in order to justify the inevitably awful results. Unfortunately, it turns out that art assets made while blindfolded don’t mix with precise hit detection, so while that element was dropped, I became really attached to the crayon style and kept it.