Every game starts with a question. For Stickography it was: can you make a stick figure dance in a way that actually feels like dancing? Not an animation playing back, but something with weight, rhythm and timing.
This week, for the first time, the answer is "yes".
Dancing on the count
Under the hood, a beat clock drives everything. Music, moves, formations and scoring all run on the same count, at 120 BPM. When a dancer does a salsa basic, the weight shift lands on the music, not somewhere near it.
Three dancers, joints and all
The crew is three fully articulated 3D stick figures. Hips, knees, shoulders and elbows move separately, so a body roll really rolls through the body. The architecture already handles one to six dancers; three is the sweet spot for now.
Five Latin moves
The first dance style is Latin, with five moves to start with:
- Salsa Basic
- Bachata Basic with tap
- Latin Side Step
- Body Roll
- Spot Turn
Formations and canon
A routine is more than a list of moves. You place your crew in a line, triangle, V or depth formation, and you can start dancers in canon: the same move, each one count later. That ripple is the moment it turns from "three stick figures" into "a crew".
Coach Mode and scoring
Coach Mode lets you watch a routine without pressure. Play it for real and it is scored across several categories, earning money, XP and reputation. Tap Space on the beat for extra accent points.
Below the line
It's still a prototype: a grey floor, simple colours, no menu. But the foundation is in place, guarded by almost ninety automated tests and a working Windows build.
Next step: giving this prototype a face.