v0.10.5 - Coyotes Eat Snakes

The origin of "Snake" as a game is a grid-based system where it simply adds a segment to the front and removes one from the back. SnekromancY was built around that core concept, with layers of improvements on top to make it feel smoother, but at its heart it's still a grid-based system. This means that when you change direction, it doesn't instantly apply because the snake has to finish its current tile movement first. For people who are skilled at the classic snake, this is no problem because it's exactly how those games worked. For players who are new to the genre, however, it feels like input lag.

I don't really want to change the underlying movement system (because then it would feel less like Snake and more like Vampire Survivors with a tail), so I decided to look at the pain points on their own. The biggest problem with the perceived delay is that particularly hen moving fast, it's easy to accidentally wall-strike. This is a problem we can address on its own, by taking an idea form platformers: "coyote time." This refers to a trick platformers play where you can walk off the edge of a ledge for a tenth of a second or so, and still have a chance to jump before you fall.

Applying this idea to snake, I've introduced a system where when you are moving into a wall, the snake will give you 1/10th of a second grace period where you're still able to change direction before you take the hit. This even works if you take a corner too early. If you're quick, you can correct your snake by returning your facing direction to the forward movement before the hit applies.

Also in this patch are a number of balance updates, most notably the introduction of minion summons to the normal (non-chest) level up pool. Since this is a big power boost for the player, I've upped boss hp, and general enemy hp to a lesser extent. To come back around again, I've also reduced non-boss enemy damage across the board.

Major Updates

• Level-up rewards can now include minion recruits, capped at one recruit per level-up.

• Added clearer HUD labels and tooltips for level, score, kills, XP, coins, keys, and doors.

• Improved controls, fixing analog stick problems and adding coyote time system.

Controls and Feel

• Improved analog stick movement so diagonal stick input resolves to one clear direction instead of queuing multiple turns.

• Added a short wall-hit grace window so players have a moment to steer away before wall damage applies.

• Improved wall-hit handling so escaping the wall cleanly cancels the pending damage.

• Improved Hell Hound attack timing and animation feel.

HUD and Progress Tracking

• Door progress now tracks opened doors instead of total collected keys.

• Hammer-forced door openings now update key and door displays correctly.

Balance

• Large enemy balance pass across early, mid, and late-game enemies.

• Reduced damage on many fast or early enemies to smooth out sudden hits.

• Increased health on several late-game and elite enemies to make them last longer.

• Skeleton Volley and Lich Volley now add two extra shots instead of one, while keeping their attack speed penalty.

Combat and Fixes

• Improved bouncing projectile collision against walls so bounces are more reliable.

• Improved projectile sweep behavior for fast shots hitting walls or enemies.

• Improved enemy uninterruptible attack handling so special actions are not interrupted incorrectly.

• Improved trap visuals and warning behavior for spikes and sling blades.

• Cursed Shell now spawns its snail immediately when picked during a run.

Store and Text

• Improved store unlock tab behavior so newly claimable unlocks appear and tab attention clears correctly.

• Improved translated minion family names in the store.

• Improved CJK price button sizing in store cards.

• Updated minion recruit upgrade names and descriptions to make it clearer that they summon a new minion.

• Added and improved several localized UI and upgrade strings.