Mindscape
Getting started
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About the game
A unique blend of incremental progression and tower defense, set to the rhythm of the breath.
Protect the Breath Center from Thoughts by releasing them through Awareness into Clarity. Use Clarity to develop skills that deepen and expand your capacity to release Thoughts.
Explore different levels facing unique Thought forms, each one having its own mechanic, and develop different strategies to release them.
Earn Experience with each level completion and spend it for Wisdom skills that stay with you through the whole game. Can you protect the Breath Center on all levels and complete the Mindscape?
AI generated content disclosure
Codex, powered by ChatGPT, was used as a coding assistant during development.
I’m a software engineer with 25 years of programming experience. I used Codex to help with technical implementation while I focused on the game’s design, systems, balance, and overall feel. It made it possible to build Mindscape in my spare time and release it for free.
Comments
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The game looks really interesting at a glance, but unfortunately this graphic style has been soured by my interactions with other, much lower quality games to the point that I can't judge this one fairly. I might try it if you redesigned the UI to look handcrafted instead of appearing created through generative AI. Using LLMs to handle behind-the-scenes processes is one thing, but I don't want visuals to be generated, including any and all UI elements. Thank you for your AI disclosure, it's allowed me to know you were careful with your use of generative tools and considered how they would affect your final product and has given me a positive impression of you as a creator.
bro really complained about a free game being not good enough
just go play some other free game and go away, or make your own, then.
Some gameplay, a smattering of critique, and some rambling ;)
It's a joy for me to see how players experience the game, thanks for your time and effort :)
I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of your review, you explored the meditation theme profoundly and yet so understandable.
I'm with you on the AI take as a tool. Given the power of the tool, speed and scope of it's propagation, polarization of opinions here is quite understandable. I'm glad you found that the tool was used in a skillful way.
I'm now interested to watch more of your game reviews :)
Love it so far, definitely interested in more content for it. I think an ascension type / restart with some gains mechanic would work well here when more content is added.
Thank you for the feedback :)
I lost a level and couldn't figure out how to end it. I ended up having to finish anyway. Can you add some clear way to abandon it after you've already lost? And make it clearer when something has already entered the circle in the middle? Nothing is worse than spending a long time finishing a level only to find out that you had already lost and didn't know it yet.
In the main menu there are two options:
1. Restart Level - same level from the beginning
2. Surrender - ending current level
I also suggest exploring this strategy: move the Awareness circle away, regenerate some Presence, then move Awareness over Thoughts to release them during out-breath. Upgrades (right click) could help as well.
How do I get to those options? Is there a pause menu?
Also, I suggest adding hotkeys for upgrades so you don't have to pause it.
Yes, there is menu icon in the to left panel, in the same row with MINDSCAPE caption.
Thanks, I like your suggestion about hot keys.
It's a real shame you wasted an actual good idea on AI.
I'm sorry you experience shame.
In my experience, AI allowed me to focus 90% on creativity instead of 90% on coding (which I've done a lot in the last couple of decades as a professional software developer).
go make your own game then lol