Chill comeback

Hey folks!
This is the first entry in my devlog series for a chill little game I'm putting together — a modern take on Pong, wrapped in a cozy lo-fi aesthetic.

Why Pong?

Pong was the first wildly successful arcade game, released in 1972. It may seem simple now, but back then, it kickstarted the arcade era — and it was built directly on hardware!
These days, we don’t need to mess with circuits and resistors to make a ball bounce between two paddles. With modern engines, it’s a perfect starting point for small-scale devs like myself.

Core Goals

To keep scope tight (and my brain sane), I laid out some simple foundational goals:

• A basic arena with two walls and a center divider

• Two paddles (one for each player)

• A ball that bounces off walls and paddles

• A score system that triggers when the ball exits the screen

• A scoreboard UI

Bonus Features I Added:

• Simple AI for single-player mode (imperfect on purpose — gotta keep it beatable!)

• Basic menus: start game, reset game

• Retro-style sound effects: paddle hits, score alerts

• Lo-fi music playing in the background

• Screen shake on ball collision

• Ball trail effect for that juicy game feel

• Occasional background shifts for visual variety

• (WIP) A mini music player to pause/play/loop the background track

The Build Process

1. Setting the Mood

Before touching any code, I mocked up a visual idea. Since Pong’s gameplay is iconic and doesn’t need reinventing, I focused on mood.
Inspired by the lo-fi playlists I’ve been looping lately, I envisioned a calm, meditative backdrop — almost like a screensaver you can play.
The goal? Keep it timeless, cozy, and minimalist.

2. Building the Arena

I created a simple arena using 2D nodes — walls to bounce off, and invisible scoring zones at each end that trigger when the ball passes them. These scoring zones send a signal to update the scoreboard and reset the ball.

3. Making the Paddles Feel Right

Each paddle uses smooth acceleration and friction logic to move naturally, rather than snapping into position. This adds a bit of weight and polish. The second player can be controlled by the AI or a human if you’ve got a buddy nearby.

4. The Ball — Simple, But Dynamic

The ball starts after a short delay, picking a random angle from a pre-set list. It bounces off anything it touches and resets on score. I added a gentle screen shake when it hits something — subtle, but satisfying.
It’s a small touch that adds a lot of juice.

Atmosphere Matters

One of my favorite additions so far is the lo-fi music player. It plays chilled beats in the background, and I’m working on a mini-player UI that lets you pause, play, or loop tracks. I’m also experimenting with timed background changes to keep the visuals fresh without overwhelming the vibe.

Next Steps

I’m nearly done with the MVP. What’s left:

• Finalizing the music mini-player

• Adding a few more visual polish passes

• Playtesting to fine-tune paddle speed and AI balance

Thanks for reading!
If you’re into retro reimaginings, lo-fi vibes, or just wanna chill with some pixel paddles — keep an eye on this page.
The next devlog will cover the AI system and how I kept it “fairly dumb” on purpose 😅

🎧 Press play.
🎮 Chill.
🧠 Pong your stress away.

— Mstach Art