This week’s devlog is a satisfying one — not because something flashy landed, but because something finished. Yellow Robot is finally done, and with it, the full core cast of bots is ready to roll. Even better, a small shader breakthrough helped bring a planned puzzle mechanic to life sooner than expected — and it’s already changing the way new levels are coming together.
🟡 Yellow Robot Joins the Team
The Yellow Robot is finally up and running! All four core robots are now implemented, animated, and ready to solve puzzles. Getting Yellow’s shader just right took a bit of experimentation, but the final result feels great in motion—and it led to an unexpected bonus…
🚫 A New Kind of Gate
The shader trick that helped finish Yellow’s glow also opened the door (pun intended) to something new: a fifth gate type that’s impassable by all robots. This special gate will only deactivate when triggered by a new kind of switch that any robot can use—perfect for designing more complex puzzle interactions down the road.
The art and animation for the gate are already in and looking sharp. A few polish tweaks are still on the list, but it’s sitting at about 92% complete.
🧠Puzzle Progress
One new puzzle level is complete! It has a small twist that will reward players who pay attention to detail. Work also began on a larger and more layered puzzle, designed to showcase the kind of complexity players can expect as they advance deeper into the game.
🔜 Next Up
Here’s what’s coming down the pipeline:
• Add the new universal switch to the level loader
• Final polish on the 5th gate’s visuals and animation
• Continue building out the larger multi-step puzzle
• Plan out new interactions that use the 5th gate creatively
🙃 Final Thought
It’s wild how a small shader fix can spark new mechanics! These moments are exactly why I love prototyping in public—it’s not just about the roadmap, but also the unexpected turns along the way.
See you in the next update!
– Chris