Made for: IIITN Game Jam 2025, hosted by Dimensions Club

Team Name: Caffeine Coders

A 2D Sci-Fi Physics Arcade / Puzzler

Stellar Voyager is a challenging, skill-based 2D game where players pilot a lone starship through treacherous gravitational fields. The gameplay revolves around mastering momentum-based physics with precise thruster controls to navigate planets and black holes. Players must collect scarce Energy Orbs to power a unique anti-gravity boost, turning each level into a high-stakes puzzle that tests skill and strategic thinking.

Story and Narrative Synopsis

In the year 2242, the outer colonies have fallen silent. A mysterious and expanding gravitational anomaly is tearing through star systems, threatening all of humanity. Normal ships are helpless, but a single pilot, a former daredevil from the now-devoured colonies is tasked with flying the XV-Stellar Voyager, an experimental prototype with a unique anti-gravity drive. Your mission is a desperate flight into the heart of the chaos to collect scattered Energy Orbs - the last remnants of dying stars. You must use the ship's boost to defy the crushing gravity of planets and black holes, navigating to the stable Exit Portal at the anomaly's center to unleash a pulse that can save what's left of the galaxy.

How the Story Enhances Gameplay

The narrative is designed to give every gameplay mechanic a clear purpose:

  • The Energy Orbs are framed as a scarce, vital resource needed to keep your mission alive. It is a desperate act of survival, not just powering up.
  • The anti-gravity boost is the ship's mission-critical technology. Its limited use is tactical and significant.
  • The Exit Portal isn't just a finish line, it is the key to stabilizing the anomaly and saving the colonies.

Controls and User Interface

The controls and UI are designed to be intuitive and clean, ensuring an accessible and immersive experience.

Control Scheme

  • Ship Movement: Arrow Keys or WASD Keys.
  • Anti-Gravity Boost: Spacebar.
  • Touch Controls: An on-screen D-pad for movement and a central button to boost.
  • Menu Navigation: Mouse Click or Tap.

User Interface

  • The UI features a sleek, retro-futuristic neon theme, using the Orbitron font against a deep-space background to create a cohesive sci-fi atmosphere.
  • The interface is minimalistic to keep focus on the action. It cleanly displays the Level Name, remaining Orb count, and a real-time velocity display.
  • Sound is muted by default and can be enabled with a single click in the top-right corner.

Technical Details

Development Technologies

  • Languages: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
  • Game Engine: Vanilla JavaScript, leveraging the browser's built-in Canvas API (CanvasRenderingContext2D) for all rendering and physics calculations.
  • Audio: Standard HTML5 Audio API is used for sound effects and music playback
  • UI Styling: Tailwind CSS

Performance and Stability

  • Optimized rendering directly via the Canvas API.
  • Compressed image assets for fast load times.
  • Tested for cross-browser and mobile compatibility.

Core Physics Engine

The game is powered by a custom engine that simulates momentum-based space flight.

  • Gravity: A simplified universal gravitation formula (acceleration = (G * Mass) / distance^2) pulls the ship toward celestial bodies.
  • Drag: A constant damping factor is applied to the ship's velocity to prevent uncontrolled acceleration and make navigation more manageable.
  • Boost Mechanic: Activating the boost temporarily inverts the gravity formula with a -2 modifier, turning the pull of planets into a powerful repulsive force for strategic escapes.

Contact Information

Team Name: Caffeine Coders

Team Lead: Medha Sharma

Reach out here: 

  • medhasharma476@gmail.com (Medha Sharma)
  • humitabhatia@gmail.com (Humita Bhatia)
  • kapil26062019@gmail.com (Kapil Yadav)

Asset Credits

Visual Assets

Audio Assets

THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!

More information

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