Neon Depths

Project Overview

Neon Depths is a cyberpunk roguelike game set in the dystopian megacity of New Arcadia in the year 2186. Players take on the role of a hacker attempting to infiltrate the deepest layers of corporate servers, represented as a neon-lit dungeon crawling experience.

The game features procedurally generated levels with increasingly difficult enemies and security systems. Each run is unique, with different abilities, upgrades, and environmental hazards to overcome. Players can unlock permanent upgrades between runs, allowing for progression even after failure.

Development Journey

This project began as a game jam entry that I later expanded into a full game. The biggest technical challenge was creating a procedural generation system that produced levels that were both balanced and interesting. I implemented a cellular automata algorithm combined with hand-crafted room templates to create varied but consistent environments.

Another significant challenge was balancing the difficulty curve to make the game challenging but fair. I collected extensive playtesting data and implemented an adaptive difficulty system that subtly adjusts based on player performance.