What is Decurion about?

Decurion is a top-down score attack shooter with a strong arcade element. The game revolves around player skill - movement, assessing situations, and acting accordingly. What makes it distinctive is its environmental gameplay. Players must use level elements strategically while balancing offense and defense. This game is thus not chill or cozy - it's an old-school hard game that will require attention and focus. There are no experience points - only the experience you naturally gain by playing. The more you play, the more you lose, the more you learn, the better you get.

How the game goes

• There are multiple levels, each with the same goals but different challenges.

• Before starting, the player picks a mech and a pilot. Each comes with a unique ability. The mech ability affects how the player interacts with the environment. For example, the mech might be able to sprint, become invincible, or deploy a defensive turret. These abilities are designed to help in direct combat or tactical positioning. The pilot ability, on the other hand, is more strategic but risky. It always takes time to activate and disables the mech's movement while it's active. The pilot might summon an airstrike, build defensive structures, or summon portals that can lock out enemies or help the player retreat.

• Once the level starts, you have a base to defend.

• Enemies spawn at various intervals and will actively try to destroy your base. There are different types of enemies with different abilities.

• Your job is to take them out before they destroy your base.

• If the base is destroyed or you run out of lives, it's game over. If you eliminate all enemies, you move on to the next level.

• Complete all levels, and you beat the game.

• There is also a couch coop mode.

Level Geometry

Each level is a fixed-size map (15x13 grid). It always fits on the screen so the player always sees everything that is happening at all times. The map consists of:

• Tiles – The player moves on them. Different types of tiles affect movement (slowing, sliding, pushing).

• Obstacles – Block structures placed on the tiles. Some are destructible, others are not.

To succeed, the player has to use the environment to their advantage. Player can use obstacles to hide, flank/gank enemies, and in some situations, rebuild the obstacles during the battle. Game starts with levels that have simple geometry that will become more complex later on, requiring players to learn how to use the environment effectively.

Player

Before starting a game, the player selects a mech and a pilot.

The player can move, shoot, perform melee attacks, deflect, and use two special abilities - one from the mech and one from the pilot. Ability uses are limited, but they can be increased by picking up items (power-ups) mid-level. The game follows a one-shot, one-kill rule. There's no HP bar, but the player has a limited number of lives. If you run out of lives, the level is lost.

A Base to defend

At the bottom center of the map, there's a crystal-like structure protected by an energy shield. If an enemy touches or shoots it, the game is over. The shield can absorb only one hit before going down. Every action the player takes must be with base protection in mind. The player can also shoot the base, by the way - so don't do it.

Enemies

Each level has a set number of enemies. They spawn at intervals and will try to reach your base. There are 5 enemy types in total, each with slightly different behavior and attack patterns. Some for example will focus on pushing forward to reach the base as quickly as possible, while others will clear obstacles or track the player and reveal their location.

Scores

Players earn points for every enemy they destroy. The amount depends on enemy type and how they're defeated (e.g., melee kills or kill streaks give bonus points). Extra points are awarded for things like finishing a level quickly or completing a level without dying once. Points aren't just for high scores- they also affect gameplay. They can be spent between levels on things like:

• Increasing power-up drops for the next round

• Decreasing the chance of an anomaly appearing

• Increasing the number of mech/pilot ability uses and other upgrades.

Having more points thus increases your chances of surviving the next level(s).

Power-Ups and Power-Downs

Some enemies drop items that will remain for a limited time before disappearing unless picked up. These items fall into two general categories:

• Good for the player – For example, all active enemies may be frozen for 10 seconds, or the player may gain an extra ability use.

• Good for the enemy – Something that impacts the player in a negative way, like summoning additional enemies mid-game or disabling the base's shield.

The player must grab helpful items and prevent enemies from getting power-ups that make the game harder. Or maybe just let them pick those up - if making the game harder is what you're seeking.

Anomalies

Anomalies are events that can occur starting from the second level. They are there to introduce unexpected challenges and change the situation in the level. The player must adapt to these changes and maybe even try to use them to their advantage.

Examples of anomalies:

• One anomaly might disable all the light sources in the level for some time.

• Another might destroy some of the level geometry or even change it completely.

There will be 5 different anomaly types in total.

That's it for today! There's much more to share, and I’ll be making a series of follow-up articles where each point discussed here will be explored in more detail. In the meantime, try out the demo and share your thoughts! Until next time!