Distortion Clash - Gameplay Playtest Demo

(I don't have art for most of the characters, aside from basically copy/pasting the same sprite to look like the different characters, so a lot of the actions done will be done with the Luchadora's sprites just to show that you are doing something at least.)

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Basics:

Each "Turn" (10 seconds on the "in-game" timer if you are using it) is divided into two "Reveals". Each player can select up to two options for each Reveal (including the same option twice), but it is not necessary. Sometimes using a single option for a Reveal might be the better choice at that time. If you input an invalid combination of options your character will do nothing for that Reveal. After each Turn you can go back to your controller to input the commands for the next Turn. The game will end if either the timer reaches 0 or if either player has no HP remaining at the end of a Reveal.

(PLEASE USE ONLY SKIN #1 FOR ALL CHARACTERS. I don't have anything in Skin #2 for a lot of them, so it'll reduce any issues.)

Combat Screen:

P1: W,A,S,D for cursor movement, Z to select an option for your first Reveal, X to select an option for your second Reveal, C to place a decoy on an option, V to clear all placement on an option / Un-Ready if you need to make changes. Space to mark yourself as Ready.

P2: Directional Arrows for cursor movement, U to select an option for your first Reveal, I to select an option for your second Reveal, O to place a decoy on an option, P to clear all placement on an option / Un-Ready if you need to make changes. Enter to mark yourself as Ready.

Common Moves:

Movement: If you select only one option in a direction, you'll have the "x1" speed bonus added, and if you select a single direction twice you'll have the "x2" speed bonus added. Selecting two different directions is invalid, and you cannot move and attack in the same Reveal (example, you'd have to Move Right first Reveal and Light Punch second Reveal).

Attacks: If you are doing just a standard punch or kick, only select one for your Reveal. If you are in the air, Punches hit horizontally from you while Kicks hit diagonally downward.

Anti-Air Attacks: If you are anticipating your opponent to jump at you, you can use a combination of a jumping direction (Jump Left, Jump Up, Jump Right) with any of the four standard attack buttons to attack diagonally upward instead of in front of you.

Block: Blocks currently reduce all hits to only 1 Damage.

Throws: Use either by itself or with the Move Left/Move Right buttons. If used with the same move button that you are facing towards, throws the opponent an extra space away, otherwise throws them behind you if using the move button towards your back. Not currently functioning in relation to Unique moves, but should handle everything else properly.

Jumping: When you jump, you have a momentum status depending on the type of jump ("Left", "Right", "None") and whether or not something is in your way. For instance, if your back is to the right wall and you select Jump Right, you aren't going to jump off the screen (at least you shouldn't) and will have a momentum status of "None". After the Reveal in which you jumped, you will spend one Reveal in mid-air and at the end of that Reveal you will go back to the ground. If the opponent is in the square you will be landing in, they will be pushed around (usually  in the same direction your were travelling in, unless their back was to the wall).

UNIQUE/SUPER MOVES:

You can either do Move Left/Right + a Punch or Kick to use a character's Uniques or a combination of any two punches/kicks for a reveal to do a Super Move.  You can press R for Player 1 or K for Player 2 during the input portion to bring up a move list for your selected character.

The top four characters are also the only ones who have enabled passive abilities, which you can check by pressing the buttons above that were used to look up info.

Characters (Names definitely not final. 8 characters, Character #5 just has two forms so I split it up.)

1. Hummingbird - Aerial character, has a passive ability where he gains +1 to SPD, STR & SPC whenever he's in the air.
1. Unique Move #1: Deals damage up to two spaces in front of you, can be used in the air as well.
2. Unique Move #2: Move diagonally upward. If your opponent is there, push them back a space.
3. Air Super: (Light) Deal damage to the space diagonally downward from you. (Heavy) Deal damage to the space one further than diagonally downward from you.
4. Super #1: Move one space forward (if able), and attack the space in front of you.
5. Super #2: Deals damage to the space in front of you as well as above/below you (can be used in the air as well).
6. Super #3: Move 2 spaces left (Light), or 2 spaces right (Heavy).
2. Gravity Ninja - Space manipulation character, gains +1 to their SPD, STR & SPC after successfully using a Unique ability.
1. U#1: Move the opponent one space to the left. If they are in the air, their momentum will shift to the left as well (if they jumped straight up, it'll treat their landing as if they were jumping left, for example).
2. U#2: Same as #1, but to the right instead.
3. Air: Move one space to the left (Light) or right (Heavy) while in the air, staying airborne for another Reveal as well.
4. S#1: Standard forward-moving projectile (if the opponent isn't directly in front of you, the projectile takes that spot and moves forward at a Speed of 5 each reveal).
5. S#2: Hits above you as well as directly in front of you.
6. S#3: Move directly behind the enemy and attack. Doesn't activate if the enemy's back is to the wall or if they're in the air.
3. Luchadora - Charge character - After any Reveal in which they don't attempt to attack, they gain a temporary +1 SPD (stacks x3). Resets when they attack.
1. U#1: Gain +2 STR for your next Reveal. If you used U#2 last Reveal, gain +3 STR and +2 SPD instead.
2. U#2: Gain +2 SPD for your next Reveal. If you used U#1 last Reveal, gain +3 SPD and +2 STR instead.
3. Air: Move diagonally downward. If the opponent is there, they take damage and get pushed back.
4. S#1: Standard projectile.
5. S#2: Hits the space diagonally upward while jumping straight up.
6. S#3: Move 2 spaces forward (or until you meet the opponent) and do damage directly in front of you. Ignores projectiles if you move fully through it in passing.
4. Miner - Precision / Keepaway Character - Used to have a passive that went towards your Ultimate Move meter (which has been put on hold for now at least).
1. U#1: Your next S#1 or S#3 attack range is increased by 1.
2. U#2: Move 2 spaces away from where you are facing.
3. Air: Hits in front of you. If it connects, both players are forced to the ground, diagonally downwards from where they were.
4. S#1: Hits diagonally upward from you (Light) or directly in front of you (Heavy).
5. S#2: Hits the two spaces in front of you. If it makes contact your opponent can't move normally for the next two Reveals (can still move by using Uniques/Supers). Always does 2 damage, even if blocked.
6. S#3: Deals damage two spaces away (Heavy) or the space above that (Light).
5. Weapon User - Had a passive of "whenever you remove or regain your weapon all stats are set to 4 for the next Reveal", but that seemed tedious. They have two sets of moves (with weapon/without), so I'll go through Armed first then Unarmed.
1. U#1: Place your weapon on the field diagonally upward from where you are currently. If your opponent ends their turn in the same space, they take 2 damage.
2. U#2: Same as U#1, but in front of you instead of diagonal.
3. Air: Hits the space in front of you as well as below you.
4. S#1: Hits the space in front of you as well as above you.
5. S#2: Hits the space directly above you as well as the space forward from that.
6. S#3: Hits directly in front of you. If it hits, your opponent has -2 SPD next Reveal.
6. Weapon User - Unarmed - Weapon currently automatically comes back to them after 3 Reveals.
1. U#1: Increases the damage done by your weapon being in the same space as your opponent by 2. Stackable, resets if weapon is picked back up.
2. U#2: Brings your weapon two spaces towards you, using cardinal directions (if in the air moves down first before horizontally).
3. Air: Hits in front of you. If contact is made, pushes the opponent one space away, both players' momentum set to none (both characters drop straight down, regardless of how they were jumping).
4. S#1: (Light) Hits all of the squares one space away from the weapon (including diagonals), dealing a set 2 damage. (Heavy) Deals 5 damage to the space directly below/above the weapon.
5. S#2: Hits the space in front of you (Light) or diagonally upward (Heavy). If it hits, move your opponent one space away horizontally (momentum doesn't change if in the air).
6. S#3: Depending on which buttons are used for this Super, move the weapon one space Left, Right, or Vertically.
7. Grappler - Passive where they don't lose Combo if they use a Super Move (Combo used to be added when a player connects with a regular move, increasing their character's stats depending on their Combo #). Another mostly scrapped Passive ability.
1. U#1: Calculate as a normal Throw. If successful, treat as if both characters jump straight up.
2. U#2: Move forward one space. If the opponent is in that space push them back and gain +1 Combo.
3. Air: Treat as a normal Throw. If it hits, both characters come down to the ground, with the opponent being directly in front of you (Light) or one space away (Heavy).
4. S#1: If hit with a Regular/Unique (Light) or Super (Heavy) when your opponent is on the ground, take no damage and deal equal damage to the opponent instead.
5. S#2: Same as S#1, but if the opponent is in the air.
6. S#3: Move forward two spaces, ignoring any projectiles (and the opponent). If you end on the opponent's space, go one extra space.
8. Robot - Projectiles - Passive where all of their projectiles are calculated with a Speed of 8 instead of the usual 5.
1. U#1: Hits directly in front of you. If it hits, your opponent's SPD, STR, and SPC are set to 1 for the next Reveal.
2. U#2: Hits directly in front of you. If it hits, your next attack is unblockable.
3. Air: Throws a projectile diagonally downward, which then moves forward for each Reveal afterward.
4. S#1: Projectile that moves in a straight line.
5. S#2: Projectile that spawns diagonally upward from you, moves diagonally downward on the next Reveal, and so on until it leaves the stage or hits the opponent.
6. S#3: Hits directly in front of you. Move to the space directly above you, with no momentum.
9. Stance Changer - Adaptable - Another overly complicated one, would add their current stat bonuses to STR on the Reveal after they changed stances.
1. U#1: Change to Speed Stance. Each time that you end a full Turn in a different location than you started it in, gain +1 temporary SPD. Stackable x3. Lost if you end in the same location.
2. U#2: Change to Defense Stance. Each time that you end a full Turn in the same location that you started it in, you'll take 1 less damage from attacks (minimum of 1 DMG). Lost if you end in the same location.
3. Air: Hits the space directly below you as well as the space behind that one.
4. S#1: If your opponent is on the ground at the time of use, move them directly next to you.
5. S#2: Hits the space above you as well as the one forward from that. If it hits, move the opponent directly in front of you.
6. S#3: Move up to 2 spaces forward, and deal damage.

I'm rambling now, so please give it a try and let me know what you think.  If there is anything that you feel should be changed, let me know (not a guarantee it'll be changed, but the feedback is always welcome). I've been having slight issues with the screen size, so what I have been doing is starting it in Windowed mode and then maximizing the screen, so if something seems off please give that a try.

FEEDBACK I'M LOOKING FOR AT THE MOMENT:

Just let me know if it is something that you can see yourself playing more of after it  looks and sounds nicer. If the basics turn people away, then usually some changes will need to be made going forward or it won't be enjoyable.

If you play against the Computer, let me know if the outcome of the match felt reasonable. If you play against another person, let me know what both people thought about the outcome. Some of the characters will be worse than others at this point, as the characters with lower status usually have the passive abilities and moves to make up for the stat difference.