Build Up! Alien Panic! Early Playable Concept (Solid Core Building System, Controller Support, Rhythm-Based Gameplay)

Hey everyone!

I was honestly unsure if I should post this yet, since the game is still in an early concept phase and a lot of the graphics are placeholders (AI-generated and cleaned up just to give it some temporary color and vibe).
But after working really hard on the block building system and getting it to feel really solid and satisfying on controller, and syncing the fire rates, camera shakes, and enemy behavior to the music beats, I decided... why not share it early and see what you think?

This is in alpha stage, you are the first playtesters.

The game is fully playable and I haven't noticed any bugs, except that very rarely a destroyed autoturret might not be completely removed.

I'm mainly looking for feedback and bug reports about:

    The Building System: How the building and controls feel during gameplay.

    Performance: If the music synchronization or gameplay feels off on different hardware.

    Game Concept: Does the core concept feel unique for a different kind of arcade game?

    Next Steps: Should I prioritize adding the core mechanics, enemies, and bosses... or focus first on improving design and graphics (and the main menu)?

    Potential: Does the game seem like it has real potential, or not? (I personally have fun playing short sessions even at this early stage, but as the developer, I know I might be biased.)

➔ Note:
The final game will have no story, staying true to pure, fast arcade action, quick to jump in and replay.

Game Title: Build Up! Alien Panic!
Platform: PC (Controller only — no keyboard support)
Link: https://jollykai.itch.io/buildup-alien-panic
What’s Playable Now:

    Fully working block building system: Build vertically and horizontally using blocks dropped from defeated enemies.

    Music-Synced Action: Fire rates, enemy spawns, and even camera movements are synced with the music beat.

    Smooth Controller Support: Movement, shooting, building, and inventory management all fully mapped for controller.

    Playable and bug-free (at least for now!).

Core Mechanics:

    Climb Higher, Survive Longer: As you build up, enemies get tougher and more chaotic.

    Beat-Synced Combat: The whole game rhythmically flows with the music (still improving).

    Weapon Swapping and Combinations: Mix and match different weapon types mid-run.

    Power-Ups and Gear: Shields, auto-builders, turrets, laser drones, and more.

    Online Leaderboard: Compete with players worldwide for the highest climb!

➔ Quick Tips (Important Power-Ups You Might Miss):

    Auto Builder Bot (Blue Bot): Collect and use it during combat (D-Pad Down) to automatically build 20 blocks horizontally in any direction.

    Auto Turret Pole: Allows you to place auto-turrets using your currently equipped weapon (press X to place, X + Down to pick up).

    Assembler: Collect it to place an Assembler Station (press Y to lock your current weapon, or B to lock your current power-up). This makes them permanent instead of temporary! (Placing Assembler and buying weapons/powerups costs cubes.)

Upcoming Plans:

    Checkpoints with rewards during long runs

    Boss fights and minibosses to shake up the rhythm

    Expanded crafting and building mechanics

    Fixed defenses like cannons and shields

    New enemies, new weapons, new biomes

    Temporary flying segments using craftable ships

    Growing "alien" vegetation on cubes with a digging mechanic inspired by Super Mario Bros 2, where you dig out keys to use on checkpoint crates (rewards).

    Proper graphics/art overhaul (replacing all placeholders)

    And of course... community feedback integration!

➔ About Levels:
The game includes a Test Level, where you can freely try out the controls with a visible control scheme, and toggle spawners on/off for instant action.
The Main Level, where you climb as high as possible and compete on the online leaderboard.
Final Note:

Everything outside the block-building system is still pretty early and rough. This is more a proof of concept rather than a polished game.
But it’s playable, it’s bug-free (for now!), and if you like chaotic, music-driven shooters with building mechanics, I think you might have some fun with it.

Behind the Concept:
Build Up! Alien Panic! was born from a long brainstorming session, trying to imagine a unique arcade game concept that didn’t exist yet.
The idea was simple but ambitious: mix vertical building, fast arcade action, and rhythm-synced gameplay into something fresh and chaotic.
It started as a crazy "what if?"... and after a lot of experimenting and hard work, it became a real playable project.
It's still early, still rough, but it’s a game built from scratch around that original crazy idea... and hopefully it will only get better from here!

Thanks a lot if you give it a try!


BuildUp: UFO Panic! 1.0