Today I started implementing the music for the reaper and subtly mixing it into the title screens. It’s not quite where I’d like it to be, but it’s a step toward better communicating the reaper’s position and status.

While playtesting today I quickly realized that the current implementation of the weight penalty was a mistake. Slowing to a crawl and waiting for death at higher scores was simply not fun. This build reworks the penalty to instead boost the speed of the reaper at higher scores. This keeps the late game interesting by forcing death sooner.

This build also adds two additional accessibility options to the Settings screen. A new toggle for Prototype Mode restores the simpler fishing mechanic from the first several builds. And a new toggle for Peaceful Mode removes the reaper and death mechanics from the game. Although Fishyphus is intended to be played with these options toggled off, their inclusion allows sailors to enjoy the game at their own pace.

Today’s progress included:

• Capturing screenshots for the itch.io page.
• Improving the design of the itch.io page.
• Adding the Prototype Mode toggle to bypass the fishing minigame.
• Adding the Peaceful Mode toggle to bypass the reaper.
• Expanding the draw distance and particle count.
• Limiting the visible fish to only the audible ones.
• Refactoring the reaper audio to work while the game is paused.
• Synthesizing pads to fill the reaper’s higher frequencies.
• Adding a tremolo effect to the reaper audio when stunned.
• Rebalancing the weight penalty for fun, not realism.

Future builds will continue to iterate on the new music and general game pace and feel. That will be easier tomorrow with fresh ears.