How do we build a room in Cat-Astrophy?
A room in Cat-Astrophy does not begin with a pretty background, a finished planet, or a pile of visual effects.
It begins with a much more important question:
“What fun decision will Polo have to make here?”
Before we cover a scene with pixel art, atmosphere, lighting, and visual details, we first make sure the room actually works as a game space.
We start with the fundamentals:
Movement: Does Polo feel precise, responsive, and fun to control?
Distances: Can the player understand the space and react without relying on guesswork?
Enemies: Do encounters create tension while keeping the pace moving?
Platforms: Do they add rhythm, challenge, and interesting movement?
Side paths: Is there something worth discovering for players who look beyond the obvious route?
These elements are tested, adjusted, removed, rebuilt, and tested again until the room feels right.
And that's where one of our core design principles comes in: ✨ Gameplay comes first. ✨
We do not want rooms that only look good in screenshots. We want spaces that are fun to move through, satisfying to master, and rewarding to explore.
A good room should have its own rhythm. Maybe you start with a fight, move into a platforming section, spot something unusual in the distance, and suddenly realize there is another way forward.
That is when a room starts to feel alive.
Only after the gameplay feels right do we start dressing the room with its final identity, pixel art, atmosphere, visual storytelling, and personality.
The goal is simple, a room should not feel like a decorated obstacle course. It should feel like a real place inside Polo's universe.
🚀 Want to see how it feels for yourself?
Play the demo and explore the rooms yourself. And if you discover a route you particularly like, we'd love to hear about it.
💬 Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/yPhKcdCWc