The Games We Build Are Tactile Systems, Not Just Visual Stories.

Constraint: A strict 16-color palette on a purely black background. This forced us to use color not for decoration, but for function. Blue is the 'safe' path, red is 'danger,' and yellow is 'reward.' The player learns the language visually.

Pitfall Avoided: We initially wanted dynamic lighting. The visual noise made the core slingshot mechanic difficult to read. We scrapped 20 hours of work to prioritize clarity over spectacle.

Trade-off: To fit the mobile viewport, the UI is non-existent. The entire screen is the game. We sacrificed traditional HUD elements for a purer gameplay experience, accepting that new players might take 30 seconds longer to learn the controls.

Constraint: The narrative could only be revealed through two gesture-based interactions: 'Connect' and 'Sever.' No text prompts. The story's emotional arc is carried entirely by the player's physical motion.

Pitfall Avoided: A common mistake is over-animating gestures, making them feel floaty. We grounded every gesture with a haptic 'thud' and a subtle screen pull, creating a sense of tangible connection.

Trade-off: We sacrificed a broad narrative to ensure every single connect/sever action felt meaningful. The game is short (90 minutes) but dense with emotional weight. Depth over breadth.

Constraint: The entire UI is a single vertical line. Beats come towards the player. Hitting a beat means pressing anywhere on the screen when the beat overlaps your finger. The interface and gameplay are identical.

Pitfall Avoided: Rhythm games often fail by being visually cluttered. We eliminated all peripheral UI, forcing the player's focus to the exact line of interaction. The game is a meditation on timing.

Trade-off: This minimalist approach is polarizing. It has a steeper learning curve for casual players but creates a deeply focused, almost meditative experience for rhythm game purists. We chose purity over mass appeal.

Constraint: No visuals to convey space or narrative. The player navigates by sound alone. Distant drips, close whispers, and ambient tones are the only waypoints.

Pitfall Avoided: 'Ear fatigue.' We built in long moments of quiet (30-60 seconds) to let the player's hearing reset and heighten sensitivity to the next audio cue.

Trade-off: Accessibility. This is inherently less accessible than a visual game. We made a hard choice to prioritize the unique sensory experience over universal access, accepting that this is a niche title.