Okay, so today I tried something new – making a football game in Celeste. It sounds crazy, I know, but stick with me here. I’ve always loved both Celeste’s mechanics and the thrill of a good football match, so I thought, why not combine them?
First, I started by brainstorming. I doodled some rough sketches of how a football field could fit into the Celeste world. I pictured Madeline, the main character, kicking the ball using her dash ability. The core idea was to use Celeste’s movement mechanics – like wall jumps and dashes – to control the ball. Pretty cool, right?
Then, I jumped into the game’s level editor. This was the tricky part. I spent a good chunk of time just experimenting with different block types to create a makeshift football field. I used the moving blocks for the goals, and some of those disappearing blocks to add a bit of a challenge. It was like solving a puzzle, trying to get everything to fit just right.
After setting up the field, I focused on the ball mechanics. This was a whole other beast. I played around with the game’s physics, trying to find a way to make a “ball” that would react realistically to Madeline’s dashes. I ended up using one of those little bumper things, the ones that bounce you around. I tweaked its properties until it felt somewhat like a football – at least, as close as you can get in Celeste.
Next, I worked on the gameplay. I decided to make it a two-player game, because what’s football without a bit of competition? I set up two separate paths on the field, each with its own set of obstacles. The players would have to use their platforming skills to maneuver the ball towards the opponent’s goal. It was chaotic, but in a fun way.
Here’s a breakdown of the steps I took:
- Drew up a basic layout of the field.
- Built the field in the level editor using various blocks.
- Figured out a way to simulate a football using a modified bumper.
- Designed two separate player paths with obstacles.
- Tested the game with a friend – lots of trial and error here!
Finally, I invited a friend over to test it out. We spent hours just laughing and yelling as we tried to score goals. It was nowhere near perfect, but it was definitely one of the most fun and unique things I’ve created in Celeste. We ran into a bunch of issues – the ball would sometimes get stuck, or the physics would go haywire – but that just added to the charm.
In the end, I realized that making a football game in Celeste is as much about embracing the chaos as it is about precise platforming. It’s not something you’d play competitively, but it’s a great way to mess around and have a laugh with friends. I might not be a game developer, but this little experiment showed me that with a bit of creativity, you can turn any game into something completely new.
I am thinking that I would continue this project in the future, so I guess I will update some details later.
