Combat
Posts about combat from the two of us making Mytheria, with real clips from the game.
Game design · 14 October 2026Monster camps and danger zones in an open worldHow Mytheria places enemies in its open world: camps that fight as a group and come back at dawn, wanderers on roads, and danger zones you can't cheese.
Game audio · 13 October 2026Game music that leaves room for silenceHow Mytheria's game music works: quiet gaps between tracks, a program for each area, music that ducks under a fight, and boss music that takes over.
Game design · 12 October 2026Night and fog: designing danger that comes and goesHow Mytheria's nights work: a moon that makes creatures fierce, a fog that arrives once a night after a warning, and shelters that make it a choice.
Game design · 12 October 2026Armor sets and upgrades that stay useful all gameHow Mytheria designs armor sets: one defence curve for every set, nine set bonuses to choose between, and honing that keeps a favourite set useful.
Game feel · 11 October 2026Damage numbers in games: why whole numbers read betterHow Mytheria draws floating damage numbers: whole numbers, one number that ticks up per target, colours by who's hurt, and lanes so hits never overlap.
Game audio · 10 October 2026Game sound effects: why sound is half of a good hitHow Mytheria layers its game sound effects: a hit is four or five sounds triggered by the fight itself. Hear one real fight with and without the layers.
Game design · 9 October 2026Game economy design: setting prices with a curveHow we balance Mytheria's game economy: target curves for enemies and income, a model that sets every price, and play tests that check the model.
Game design · 9 October 2026Health regeneration vs health pickups: why we chose orbsRegenerating health or health pickups? Why Mytheria heals with orbs from defeated creatures and rest in the light, with real numbers and a demo to try.
Game design · 9 October 2026Dungeon design: ten floors, small puzzles and a boss at the bottomHow we design Mytheria's temple dungeons: ten hand-made floors, three tiny puzzle rules, a rest stop halfway, rising danger and a boss at the bottom.
Game design · 8 October 2026Boss fight design: five bosses and what each one testsHow we design Mytheria's boss fights: a sealed door, an intro, three phases with a breather between, patterns that test something new and a real fall.
Game design · 7 October 2026Game loop design: gather by day, survive the nightMytheria's core gameplay loop as a real example: a daily loop of gathering and night danger inside a region loop of settlements, upgrades and bosses.
Game design · 6 October 2026How to balance weapons with a damage budgetHow we balance Mytheria's nine weapons: a damage budget per tier, every move costed in seconds of budget, with all 108 combinations measured in play.
Game feel · 5 October 2026How to make big enemies feel heavy in combatHow Mytheria makes big enemies feel heavy: mass from size, blows that bounce you back, no flinching, and a stagger you earn. Try the weight split yourself.
Game design · 4 October 2026How to design weapons that each feel differentHow we designed Mytheria's nine weapons around one verb each, from a harpoon that pulls to runes you set off later. See every weapon in play.
Game feel · 4 October 2026How to make a dash feel good: charges, cooldowns and animationHow the dash in Mytheria works: speed, distance, cooldown, charges, invincibility frames and the animation. Try the charges yourself, with real numbers.
Game feel · 3 October 2026Telegraphing attacks: how to warn players before a hitA telegraphed attack warns you where and when it will land. How Mytheria telegraphs every attack: a shape on the ground, a clock, more time for big hits.
Game feel · 2 October 2026Screen shake in games: how to make it feel goodHow we tuned screen shake in Mytheria: small, along the hit, inside the hitstop and easy to turn off. Try the old and new shake curves yourself.
Game feel · 2 October 2026How to make combat feel goodHow we made combat feel good in our indie game Mytheria: hitstop, hit flash, knockback and screen shake, with real frame data you can try yourself.