Version 0.14 (alpha) is here!

Pre-release builds are available exclusively to $5 Patrons.

• Join my Patreon to play Ghost Grab 3000 today!
• Already a Patron? Download the latest version here.

This update mainly adds polish & refinement to several of the core gameplay systems, provides better feedback and fixes several bugs.

Changes:

• Boosting now temporarily disables use of the Grapple Beam (this was to prevent endlessly recharging your battery and getting ridiculous chains).
• Added 'Beam Width' power-up, which makes your Grapple Beam thicker and easier to grab enemies and bullets.
• The first wave now appears almost instantly to remove dead time at the start of a new game.
• Removed the coloured background on the "next wave" banner so it doesn't obstruct visibility of the game.
• Renamed 'Shield' to 'EMP'.
• Added a pop-up message when you try to use an ability but don't have enough energy. The message also now appears when you try to use EMP or Boost (not just Grapple Beam).
• Reduced the amount of strobing/flashing on large and small bullets to make it easier on the eyes.
• Added thicker fog to the backgrounds and made it change colour with the skybox to give foreground gameplay elements more clarity.
• Improved visual effects when using EMP - added an icon when you use it, removed colour noise on enemy knockback effects, added more unique effects to enemies while they're stunned.
• Enemies stay stunned for slightly longer.
• Stunning enemies now destroys any bullets they've fired too, to make EMP more of a screen-clearing power instead of just a small radius.
• Added briefly-lingering visual effect when bullets are destroyed.
• Reduced the 'hit pause' duration when enemies are stunned.
• Removed green from the rainbow colour cycling.

Bug fixes:

• Moving diagonally with keyboard controls is now normalised to the same speed as any other direction.
• Pressing the mouse button in menus no longer locks up your controls.
• Music volume setting is now correctly re-loaded when you quit and restart the game.
• Pressing 'Escape' key on the new game screen no longer starts the game.

Special thanks to Melancholerik, Twan and Oleh for their playtesting and amazing feedback! It's been super helpful in ironing out some of the existing issues. I still plan to make many more changes before release.

Want to get in on the early playtest builds? Join my Patreon at the $5 tier or more and you can play Ghost Grab 3000 today!

Enjoy!

Matt