Swap Afloat

A one-touch action puzzle about split-second decisions and spatial pressure.

Genre: Action / Puzzle
Role: Solo Developer
Engine: Unity (C#)
Team Size: 1
Duration: ~6 Hours (3-Day Jam)
Platform: Web / PC
Play: https://yousayrandy.itch.io/swap-afloat

Development Overview

Swap Afloat was created in ~6 hours over 3 days for Geo Jam 2022 under the theme “Pick a Side.” Designed as a minimalist arcade experience, the game challenges players to dodge falling obstacles by tapping or clicking to instantly swap between the left and right sides of the screen.

With no time for polish, this project focused on executing a clean input mechanic, a functional physics system, and a simple yet effective difficulty curve—all while protecting development bandwidth during a month of burnout recovery.

Core Programming & Design Contributions

🧠 Side-Swapping Input Mechanic
Implemented one-touch control system:

  • Player swaps sides with a single screen tap or mouse click.

  • Built physics logic to push the player down if trapped between obstacles.

  • Added collider-based lose condition when pushed off-screen.

⚙️ Procedural Obstacle Spawner
Designed lightweight level generation with modular prefabs:

  • Spawner pulls randomly from a layout array to simulate procedural variation.

  • Layouts descend at a set speed, increasing slightly after each clear.

  • System required no pathfinding or tilemaps—just vertical timing and positioning.

📈 Dynamic Difficulty Scaling
Minimalist approach to pacing:

  • Each cleared layout increments a global fall-speed variable.

  • No timers or thresholds—just organic escalation tied to game longevity.

  • Created a steady curve without introducing new complexity.

🖥️ Quick UI & Game Loop Setup
Speed-focused architecture:

  • Built simple menu and game over screens using GameObject activation toggles.

  • Manually parented UI elements for efficient scene management.

  • Omitted scene reloads to save time, relying on state toggling to reset gameplay.

🎯 Design-for-Sanity Scope
Intentional constraint-based design:

  • No audio, minimal visuals, and no fancy menus—on purpose.

  • Focused solely on making the core loop feel responsive and fair.

  • Used the project as a “low-cost” entry to maintain momentum without burnout.

Challenges Tackled

✦ Ultra-Compressed Development Time
Created entire project in under 6 hours:

  • Prioritized functional systems over aesthetics.

  • Avoided overengineering—simple prefabs, serialized values, lean architecture.

  • Skipped mid-jam polish to preserve personal bandwidth and family time.

✦ Post-Success Pressure
Followed a top-15 jam ranking with deliberate downscaling:

  • Resisted the urge to “top” the previous project.

  • Used the jam as recovery while still honoring a yearlong challenge.

  • Took pressure off performance and focused on technical flow.

Outcome

Swap Afloat is a lean, no-frills proof of skill. It’s not flashy, deep, or elegant—but it’s responsive, fully functional, and delivered on a tight timeline with zero burnout. It stands as a milestone in knowing what to cut, what to build, and how to keep moving forward without overreaching.

Sometimes shipping just enough is the win.

© 2018 Blund