Break-In

Experimental 2-player variation of Breakout. One player controls the paddle and has to break bricks to reach the top of the screen, and a second player has to place blocks and try to make the paddle lose. You can also play alone against an AI (see options menu).

Made in 10 days using Raylib.

Source code: https://github.com/Pere001/break-in

Based on an idea by synchronizer (KTR).

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DESIGN NOTES:

On the bricks being boring

The gameplay for the bricks turned out more boring than I anticipated. The gameplay for the paddle is fun because it requires reflexes, but the bricks demand no reflexes and almost no strategy. So, I think the game could be improved by adding both.

Reflexes could be added by adding unpredictable occurrences that force the bricks to adapt quickly. This unpredictability could come from randomness, or from big consequences to the paddle's skill at certain situations. There could be stronger powerups, like a laser powerup that can be aimed and destroy 2 bricks. There could be a "mine" brick that blows up if a ball hits it, breaking many blocks around it. The mine disappears peacefully after 30 seconds if no ball hits it. The bricks player would have to try to place that mine in a very covered place (and that's strategy right there!), but the paddle could skillfully break in and surprise the bricks with a big explosion.

Strategy could be increased by adding obstacles to the bricks, and by giving more power to the paddle, forcing the bricks to start trying to predict the paddle's actions. For example, there could be a powerup for the paddle that allows it to place a "tunnel" brick. Such brick would let balls go through, but it wouldn't allow other bricks to be placed there, acting as an obstacle to the shape placement.

Another way to add strategy would be to reduce randomness, especially of traps. Right now the bricks with a black star drop a powerdown that takes effect only if the paddle grabs it. The paddle can easily dodge it most of the times, so it's not that strong a deterrent. We could instead have the powerup apply instantly, so that the paddle will really try to avoid it. Additionally, we should show the icon of the powerup/powerdown that will drop, for fairness, but also to allow for a more sophisticated strategy from both ends. The bricks will have to start thinking how valuable this powerup/powerdown is in the current situation, and in the different placement options. And the paddle will have think how important that powerup is, or how dangerous that powerdown is.

Another way to increase strategy would be to add bigger and more comlex brick shapes, so that you really have to think and plan how you'll make them fit.

Ideas for game modes:

• A more different way to add strategy would be to reward the bricks if they build a specific shape they are asked for. There would be a target shape shown, and the bricks would have to build it in any color and any rotation, and the paddle has to find where the bricks are trying to build it and avoid it by breaking the bricks. This would be interesting, because the bricks could start thinking ahead, predicting where the ball could hit, and thinking of what shape that would create, and combine it with their available shapes to build the demanded shape... And the paddle would have to focus on the shapes as well. I think this could be fun as a secondary game mode, but it wouldn't be the main one because it would involve too much strategy and too much "IQ test" thinking, especially because it wouldn't mix well with the paddle's frenetic core gameplay.
• I also had the idea of adding the option of two simultaneous paddles, played by two cooperative players. The white paddle would remain in its place, and a pink paddle for the second player would be immediately above it. There would then be white and pink balls, although the lifes would be shared. The white balls would go through the pink paddle and vice versa. It would be the same game, but to be most effective they'd have to coordinate a bit to focus their fire power. It might also be fun if they could both hit all balls and there were always 2 balls in the game, because that would really demand coordination.
• An idea for an extra mode would be that the paddle's goal is not to reach the top of the screen, but rather to break all initial bricks, which would all be white. The ball would bounce off the top of the screen. I think it would be fun to defend the very last bricks...

I made the mistake of exposing too much gameplay configuration in the options. It's not the players' job to experiment with those infinite possibilities and find the best combination. I should do that work myself and find the 3 or 4 distinctive game modes that work. Some options could still be exposed, but it would only be to let players balance things out, not to find the fun.

Development plans

I won't be touching the game in a while, but eventually I'll revisit it and explore all this. I don't think it'll be a great game, but I think it can be worthwhile to play a bit with a friend.