Root Pop

Root Pop — v0.2.0-dev RP190 Web Demo

Sweep a gloved hand through ripe roots, feel them resist and pop, chain nearby harvests, then spend Roots to turn dry ground into a tiny garden.

This update replaces the older v0.1.1 browser build with the current RP190 prototype. The opening is faster and more explicit, Root Grip creates a visible second hand, paid soil growth expands the authored garden, and First Bloom gives the first few minutes a concrete destination.

Visual preview

The hook: sweep, pop, chain, grow

Move the hand through leafy roots—no clicking required. Each root loosens from the soil, pops free, and flies into the Roots counter. Nearby POPs build a visible chain bonus. The first Root Grip upgrade adds another working hand so the change is visible in the garden, not just in a stat panel.

What changed in RP190?

• Clearer opening: the first garden starts close, mature roots sit under the hand, and one compact prompt explains the action.
• Stronger first reward: whole crops, dirt, local Roots receipts, HUD collection, and a held chain result make cause and reward easier to follow.
• Earlier upgrade motivation: the Root Grip card names the two-hand payoff and opens the relevant Skill Tree route.
• Visible garden progress: Fertile Soil adds real edge bands, Fast Growth wakes sprouts, and First Bloom keeps an actionable next goal on screen.
• Storybook presentation: the menu, crops, authored soil, dry field, HUD, Skill Tree, Codex, and shell menus now share one illustrated direction.
• Original procedural music: the Web build generates its garden loop at runtime and excludes the quarantined unverified legacy track.
• Safer browser build: the current package was checked for Start, real cursor harvesting, Root Grip/x2 payoff, save/reload, WebAudio output, and a ten-minute automated stability route.

Systems implemented

• Mouse-driven root resistance, POP, collection, and Pop Chain rewards.
• Root Grip / x2 Sweeps and a branching garden-map Skill Tree.
• Fertile-soil expansion, crop discovery, First Bloom, growth events, and Rootquake.
• Harvest Requests, Crop Codex, opt-in Auto-Pull, settings, Reduced Motion, and save/load.
• Desktop Web export built with Godot 4.7.1.

Controls

• Mouse movement — sweep through mature roots to loosen and pop them.
• Hold left mouse and pull upward — Strong Tug after it is unlocked.
• H — toggle opt-in Auto-Pull.
• Space / right click — activate a charged Rootquake after unlock.
• Mouse wheel — zoom the garden.
• Esc / top-right menu — pause and open options.

What I want feedback on

• Does the first root pop feel clear and satisfying?
• Is the Root Grip two-hand payoff obvious after purchase?
• Does First Bloom give you a clear reason to keep growing the garden?
• Does the browser build load, save, and sound correct on your setup?

Known limitations

• This remains a free public desktop Web prototype, not a paid release or Steam-ready demo.
• Mobile/touch, Firefox, Safari, Steam client/depot behavior, and subjective audio balance are not validated by the current automated gate.
• The release gate used automation and operator QA; no new unfamiliar-player playtest was performed for RP190.
• Later progression and long-term commercial value still require separate evidence.

Requirements

Modern desktop browser. Mouse recommended. A 960 x 540 or larger landscape viewport is preferred.

Built with

Made with Godot Engine 4.7.1.

License

Prototype release for personal play and feedback. Redistribution or resale is not permitted without permission.