CaveBots is an RTS where you build your base and repel the attacks. It's an indirect-control game: your units are automated; you can only control the flagship.

Quick how to:

  1. Start by digging a green block with a Harvester in it
  2. Find a hard terrain block and dig it
  3. Build a Generator on that hard terrain block
  4. Try to get a Patrol bot or build a Turret to defend yourself
  5. It's free sailing from here

This game is a LD54 jam submission. The source code can be found on the GitHub.

The game gives you detailed tooltips about many things. If in doubt, hover over anything.

Controls:

  • Use the mouse or arrow keys to pan the camera
  • Q, W, E, R - activate the prompted action (construct building, order unit)
  • Left mouse click - dig (when hovering on a mountain)
  • Right mouse click - move

Resources:

ResourceFunctionalityHow to get
EnergyNeeded to dig; units have energy upkeep
Build Generators
IronNeeded for drones production and some buildings
Harvest iron deposits
StoneNeeded for buildingsDig

Units:

Bot
FunctionalityHow to get
CoreYou lose if it's destroyed. It can dig
It's unique
Harvester bot
Collects iron. Can deliver to Core or Smelter
Produce/excavate
Patrol bot
A combat bot that patrols the base. It's cheap
Produce/excavate
Vanguard bot
A combat bot that follows the Core
Produce/excavate
Titan bot
A powerful bot that attacks enemy base
Produce/excavate
Repair bot
A bot that repairs damaged units
Excavate (rare)
Generator bot
Passively generates energy
Excavate (rare)

Buildings:

BuildingFunctionality
GeneratorPassively generates energy
SmelterHarvesters will bring iron here
FactoryCan produce drones
Barricade
A cheap and primitive way to distract enemies
TurretA defensive laser turret. Needs a line of fire


StatusPrototype
PlatformsHTML5
Rating
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
(8 total ratings)
AuthorIskander (quasilyte)
GenreStrategy
Tags2D, Ludum Dare 54, Pixel Art, Real-Time, Robots, Tower Defense
Average sessionAbout a half-hour
LanguagesEnglish
InputsKeyboard, Mouse
LinksLudum Dare

Comments

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(+1)

It was not easy! 🤣

(1 edit)

This is some determination right there! In this LD compo build, the main difference between the difficulty levels is an enemy progression.

Easy becomes quite hard on 25-35 minute of the game. So if you didn’t manage to win before that, it’s hell on Earth basically. Therefore, you outdamaged the hard-difficulty waves, which is impressive. This blocking-your-own-troops tactic is interesting.

These difficulties were added in the last minutes to make the default playthrough at least a bit easier. I tested the game on normal all the time and it takes 15-20 minutes to win there. Hard difficulty is ~impossible, but I can get close to the victory. I can beat it on Hard if I cheese the game a bit, but it’s not as interesting. :)

(+1)

gg

(+1)

Impressive!

(1 edit)

You are impressive! :D

(+1)

Very fun game ! It reminded me of the good old days of Starcraft 2 mods ! Really very cool ! There is also so much material to take the project further! GG :D

My personal inspiration comes from the game called “What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?”

It’s sad that this game is mostly known in Japan. I played it a ton.

The only downside I had with it is how confusing the mechanics were. It felt like the player didn’t have enough control over the game.

(+1)

This concept is what i was looking for in tower defense genre! It so inspiring thinking of what it could become outside the jam!

(+1)

This is very cool game, i got fun in play this! You are genius!

Thank you and you’re welcome. :)

I’m planning to make it a full game once the jam is over and when I’m ready to switch my main project. :)