Alpha Submitted: Next!
The last week has been a bit of a sprint — but the kind where every step actually felt like progress instead of chaos. I'm happy to say that the Alpha build of I'm Anita has been submitted, and for the first time in the project, I feel like the core of the game is fully in place. It plays. It has structure. And it does what I want it to do.
🐸 Tad and the Path to the Bloom
One of the biggest additions this week was introducing Tad — a frog character who meets the player at the start of the level. His role is simple: he gives the player a reason to explore.
Tad now delivers a short bit of dialogue explaining that the large mushroom bloom at the far end of the level is fading, and that Anita needs to reach it and interact with it to help restore it. No collecting. It’s simple, and it sets the tone.
This interaction also triggers a cinematic camera pan up toward the bloom, highlighting it as the level’s end goal. It’s a small sequence, but it frames everything and reinforces the idea that the player has a purpose, even without overt direction.
🎮 Polishing Core Systems
This week was also about getting everything feeling complete enough to submit:
- Puzzle 1 Phase 3 is now fully blocked out with roots, logs, and foliage that obscure the spores. It supports player curiosity and exploration perfectly.
- Bounce Pads are now fully functional and integrated into the third puzzle area.
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UI got an overhaul:
- A redesigned pause menu with clean retro aesthetics
- New interaction prompts with soft-glow
[E]inputs - Dialogue boxes with typewriter text and speaker names
- And a new Spore Counter HUD widget, featuring a 3D model of a spore rendered live with a hidden SceneCapture — possibly my favorite small detail so far.
🔁 CRT Toggle, Just for Fun
I also added a toggle to the pause menu to turn the CRT post-process effect on and off. It’s a small UX win, handled simply by toggling the Post Process Volume’s Enabled property. With pixelation and dithering effects layered on top it has a lot more character to it now.
🧪 Alpha Ready
The level is complete. Systems are working. All core gameplay flows are represented. Everything else from here on is polish, playtesting, and documenting.
It’s been a productive, oddly focused week — and it feels like the game has a real identity now.
More soon.