Devlog #1 — The Beginning of Massbound

Hey everyone! 👋
I’m Alejandro Baena, a solo game developer and the creator of Massbound.
This is my very first devlog — and honestly, it feels exciting (and a bit scary) to finally share the journey.

🧩 What Massbound is about

Massbound is a minimalist 2D puzzle game where you control a glowing square made of mass — literally.
Every move, shot, or interaction consumes part of your body, so every step matters.
If your mass reaches zero, you lose, and the level resets.

The whole idea came from a question I asked myself one night:

“What if every move in a puzzle game had a physical cost?”

From there, the concept grew naturally — small rooms, simple visuals, but deep planning behind each decision.

⚙️ Core Mechanics

The gameplay is built around a single rule:

“Mass = life.”

Moving left or right drains mass, shooting drains more, and certain objects (like trampolines or switches) demand you to think carefully before acting.
You’re constantly balancing movement and efficiency — it’s not about speed, but about precision.

I wanted each puzzle to feel clean, readable, and “mathematical,” in a way — every solution should make you go “ah, that’s how it works!”

🎨 Visual Style

The aesthetic of Massbound follows a geometric and neon-minimalist approach.
Black backgrounds, sharp shapes, and a bright cyan cube that always stands out.
I love the contrast between darkness and that glowing blue — it makes the world feel silent but alive.

All art is done in Aseprite and Photoshop, and I’m keeping everything simple on purpose.
It’s not about textures or complexity — it’s about clarity and atmosphere.

🔊 Audio & Feel

Sound design is subtle. I’m experimenting with low-frequency hums, smooth synth clicks, and small bursts of feedback when you interact or lose mass.
The goal is to make every move feel like a consequence — light, but noticeable.

No epic soundtracks yet — I’m starting small, focusing on atmosphere first.
You’ll hear more once I finish building the level flow and pacing.

💡 What I’m Working On Right Now

Right now, I’m polishing the first batch of levels and the core gameplay loop:

• Saving and restarting logic

• Visual feedback when you lose mass

• Level transitions (Final Door system)

• A clean UI that matches the minimalist vibe

I’m also collecting feedback from early testers — mostly about puzzle readability and difficulty balance.
Small details like platform timing or collider sizes make a huge difference in how the puzzles feel.

🚀 What’s Next

In the next weeks, I’ll be:

• Adding new mechanics (like switches and moving platforms)

• Balancing mass consumption per action

• Designing later levels where you have to sacrifice mass strategically

Once the main set of puzzles is stable, I’ll upload a public demo here on Itch.io — so stay tuned!

🧠 What Massbound Means to Me

This project is my way of mixing design, logic, and emotion.
It’s not about flashy effects or storylines — it’s about pure design clarity.
I want players to feel clever, calm, and challenged — like solving a beautiful equation.

Developing this solo is a learning journey.
If you’ve read this far: thank you for being part of it. 💙
I’ll keep sharing updates here — progress, prototypes, and maybe some failures too.

🔗 Follow & Feedback

If you like what you see, you can:

• Follow the project here on Itch.io

• Add Massbound to your collections

• Drop a comment or suggestion — I read them all!

Thanks again for being here for my first devlog.
I’ll see you in the next one, hopefully with some new mechanics and shiny blue cubes in motion.

— Alejandro