The Making of Coven Rush

A night-time pixel-art party game, built in public

The Making of Coven Rush

You are a witch with a pair of decks in a treehouse. Cast the party spell, and the party spreads out across a forest island, area by area, wave by wave, while you fly ahead inviting its creatures, calming its sleeping legends and keeping the soundsystems standing. This site is the story of how it was made.

The opening, in Ed's words

Ed names the first minutes of a run in nine phases. They are the spine of the game, and of this site.

  1. BedroomDress your witch.
  2. The CastRead the party spell from the scroll.
  3. At the DecksStanding behind the decks in the treehouse.
  4. Step-offYour first step away from the decks.
  5. First SpeakerThe first runestone in the ring turns into a speaker.
  6. The BootThe home speakers power up one by one, the music building with them.
  7. First CountdownThe wave pointer appears and the ley line's pulse sets off.
  8. Wave OneThe party spreads to the first new area.
  9. The Party's OverEvery soundsystem down: the forest falls asleep.

Chapters

The Big TurnsThe moments the game changed shape. Growing the ArtGenomes, recipes and the pixel-art stylise pass. Music & SoundA soundtrack synthesised from a seed. Balancing the PartyBots, curves and tonight's pass. How the Systems FitWaves, the ley line, creature states, the leash. The CodeLayers, the art worker, tuning and safety nets. How It Was MadeA coordinator and a team of parallel builders. The Builders' NotesIn their own words.

The opening, phase by phase

Bedroom

Every run opens straight into the witch's messy treehouse bedroom, where you dress her while the forest grows out of sight. The fairy lights along the walls are the loading bar. It began on 5 October as a character creator that doubled as the loading screen #117, became an isometric bedroom that evening #143, grew to twice the size so you could walk her round it with WASD #229, and on the last evening was laid out at one pixel scale with the menu, under the title Coven Rush #333 #341.

After: one pixel scale for room and menu, the Coven Rush title on top and the 🎶 party spell scroll waiting in the corner.
After: one pixel scale for room and menu, the Coven Rush title on top and the 🎶 party spell scroll waiting in the corner. #341

The Cast

The party spell is a scroll with 🎶 on it, bottom right. It stays rolled shut until loading is done. As you near it, it glows and trembles. Click it and it fills the screen, crackles and bursts, and as it clears the spell is cast. On 6 October it started out as a plain "CAST THE PARTY SPELL" button #270 #276, and became the scroll that afternoon from Ed's description #315.

Casting the party spell: the scroll grows to fill the screen, crackles, bursts, and the night begins.
Casting the party spell: the scroll grows to fill the screen, crackles, bursts, and the night begins. #315

At the Decks

She stands behind her decks in the treehouse's cutaway DJ booth, the camera close in, and plays her casting pose for 1.2 s while amber and rose sparkles burst round her. The clock starts at 00:00 from the cast. The treehouse moved due north of the dancefloor on 5 October #118. Knocked down, she now comes back here too #362, and a DJing animation was being made as the four days ended #356.

Mid-cast in the DJ booth, amber and rose sparkles bursting round her.
Mid-cast in the DJ booth, amber and rose sparkles bursting round her. #276

Step-off

Her first move or rise gets her up, and the opening close-up eases out to the normal view. That first step is what starts the boot #332. The ley line leaves the treehouse's front, goes round the ring of speakers and off to the right, never across the dancefloor #329. A day earlier it had run straight south across the floor #118.

The ley line leaving home on six seeds: clockwise round the ring of speakers, off to the right and on to the first runestone, never over the dancefloor.
The ley line leaving home on six seeds: clockwise round the ring of speakers, off to the right and on to the first runestone, never over the dancefloor. #329

First Speaker

Three seconds after she leaves her decks, the pulse reaches the first of twelve small runestones round the dancefloor. The stone glows white, stretches up and springs into a speaker #272, crackling into life #273. Until then the music is silent. This speaker brings in the first of the intro's twelve layers #277. Ed's playtest set the three seconds: before, the pulse took about 40 s to reach the first stone #332.

The boot pulse runs round the dancefloor, turning each small runestone into a speaker as the home ring powers up.
The boot pulse runs round the dancefloor, turning each small runestone into a speaker as the home ring powers up. #272

The Boot

For five minutes the pulse runs clockwise round the ring, turning each stone into its speaker #282. Each speaker adds a layer of music on the next bar line, from pad and choir to gated stabs #277, and the dancefloor shows only the moon's phase in muted twilight tiles #252. The boot was Ed's answer to "the game is hard!": one baby an area and five minutes' grace, during which nothing grows #129.

The party spell cast: the pulse runs round the runestones clockwise, turning each one on as it passes.
The party spell cast: the pulse runs round the runestones clockwise, turning each one on as it passes. #282
The Boot, sped up: the home speakers turn on one by one and each brings in one of the intro's twelve layers on the next bar line. #277

First Countdown

With the twelfth speaker up, a word under the game clock says so, and the 🎶 wave pointer fades in #265 #270. The ley line's pulse sets off toward the first runestone, timed to arrive with the wave, while the line itself grows ahead at three times the pulse's pace #269. Each runestone's column of light first rises as the line reaches it #283. The countdown is five minutes, so wave one lands about ten minutes after she steps off.

After: a game clock at the top and a single 🎶 wave pointer toward the ley line's pulse.
After: a game clock at the top and a single 🎶 wave pointer toward the ley line's pulse. #265

Wave One

The pulse arrives, the first new soundsystem appears, and the area is partified. On the dancefloor the full moon flares out into the party's switch-on #252. The new area's wild babies turn happy and dance #254, while its other wild creatures are enraged and march on the soundsystem #96. On the first day waves came every 30 seconds and covered the map in about six and a half minutes #6. Now they come every five minutes, along a planned spiral route #314.

When the first wave comes, the full moon on the dancefloor flares out into the party's switch-on.
When the first wave comes, the full moon on the dancefloor flares out into the party's switch-on. #252

The Party's Over

When every soundsystem and all twelve home speakers are down, there is no game-over screen. The music winds down like a stopped record, the lights go out in a ripple from home, every creature strolls home and falls asleep under little 😴 bubbles, and each area plays its own night sounds while she walks the map in peace #323 #318 #320. That came from Ed on the evening of 6 October, and it needed a sleeping pose for every creature at every level #322.

The party's over from the treetops: the dancefloor goes dark under the moon.
The party's over from the treetops: the dancefloor goes dark under the moon. #318

More from the opening

The very first start screen: a plain text panel over the forest saying "fly the witch round the forest at night", with the controls and a What's new list. Everything later grew out of this.
The very first start screen: a plain text panel over the forest saying "fly the witch round the forest at night", with the controls and a What's new list. Everything later grew out of this.
Early version of the start: she stands behind the decks in the treehouse's cutaway DJ booth, the party gear around her.
Early version of the start: she stands behind the decks in the treehouse's cutaway DJ booth, the party gear around her.
The treehouse from below, with the glowing pentagram of the runestone ring on the ground in front of it.
The treehouse from below, with the glowing pentagram of the runestone ring on the ground in front of it.
A cosy start: the witch sits on the porch of her caravan-like treehouse, fairy lights strung beside her.
A cosy start: the witch sits on the porch of her caravan-like treehouse, fairy lights strung beside her.
Her messy treehouse bedroom, drawn isometric, with PARTY TONIGHT bunting over the bed: the place you dress your witch.
Her messy treehouse bedroom, drawn isometric, with PARTY TONIGHT bunting over the bed: the place you dress your witch. #143
While the game loads, the witch potters about her room: her idle moments made the loading screen feel alive.
While the game loads, the witch potters about her room: her idle moments made the loading screen feel alive. #168
The first character creator: dress your witch in her treehouse under PARTY TONIGHT bunting, a mirror at the side.
The first character creator: dress your witch in her treehouse under PARTY TONIGHT bunting, a mirror at the side. #117
Creator done, game on: she appears behind her decks in the treehouse's DJ booth, ready to start the party.
Creator done, game on: she appears behind her decks in the treehouse's DJ booth, ready to start the party. #117
The character creator reorganised into a box per item, one open at a time, each with its own colour picker.
The character creator reorganised into a box per item, one open at a time, each with its own colour picker. #240
The creator beside the witch's cosy bedroom: you dress her up before the night begins.
The creator beside the witch's cosy bedroom: you dress her up before the night begins. #240
In the bedroom she walks over to whatever you're changing: the wardrobe, the hat stand, the broom.
In the bedroom she walks over to whatever you're changing: the wardrobe, the hat stand, the broom. #240
Before the first wave, the dancefloor shows only the moon's phase in muted tiles, new moon to full.
Before the first wave, the dancefloor shows only the moon's phase in muted tiles, new moon to full. #252
An early look at the treehouse settled beside the dancefloor's glowing ring.
An early look at the treehouse settled beside the dancefloor's glowing ring.
The second treehouse: she sits behind her decks in a round booth, neon strips glowing along the desk.
The second treehouse: she sits behind her decks in a round booth, neon strips glowing along the desk.
The bedroom character creator before its layout pass: the room and the menu at different pixel scales.
The bedroom character creator before its layout pass: the room and the menu at different pixel scales. #341
The opening: the witch on the dark dancefloor with one button, CAST THE PARTY SPELL.
The opening: the witch on the dark dancefloor with one button, CAST THE PARTY SPELL. #282
The first character creator, in the witch's early treehouse room: dress her up while the forest loads behind the scenes.
The first character creator, in the witch's early treehouse room: dress her up while the forest loads behind the scenes. #117
How a run begins: behind her decks in the treehouse, one button, CAST THE PARTY SPELL.
How a run begins: behind her decks in the treehouse, one button, CAST THE PARTY SPELL. #276
The creator's bedroom, twice the size, with her look editor beside it: the place every run now begins.
The creator's bedroom, twice the size, with her look editor beside it: the place every run now begins. #229
The party spell as a scroll with a glowing note on it, waiting in the corner of her bedroom; nearing it, the paper trembles and the screen darkens.
The party spell as a scroll with a glowing note on it, waiting in the corner of her bedroom; nearing it, the paper trembles and the screen darkens. #315
An early start screen: a title, a What's new list and a Coming up column, all text.
An early start screen: a title, a What's new list and a Coming up column, all text. #84
Where a run starts: the witch behind her decks in the treehouse's cutaway DJ booth.
Where a run starts: the witch behind her decks in the treehouse's cutaway DJ booth. #118
Treehouse v2 from the treetops: a timber tower of lit storeys climbing a giant tree.
Treehouse v2 from the treetops: a timber tower of lit storeys climbing a giant tree.
Character creator 2 moved into a cosy isometric bedroom, with wider sliders, rainbow colours, more hats and bags.
Character creator 2 moved into a cosy isometric bedroom, with wider sliders, rainbow colours, more hats and bags. #134
Casting the party spell: she raises her hands, sparkles burst, and the night begins.
Casting the party spell: she raises her hands, sparkles burst, and the night begins. #276
Walking about the bedroom with WASD, her pool of light following her across the floorboards.
Walking about the bedroom with WASD, her pool of light following her across the floorboards. #229
The start screen as it became: Coven Rush, opening straight into her bedroom, with the character creator on the left and the spell scroll waiting bottom right.
The start screen as it became: Coven Rush, opening straight into her bedroom, with the character creator on the left and the spell scroll waiting bottom right. #333
Booted: the home ring lit and the ley lines glowing off into the forest.
Booted: the home ring lit and the ley lines glowing off into the forest. #282
The creator's broom box in its finished form: missiles, hobby horses, jet bikes, canoes and gyrocopters alongside the classic broomstick.
The creator's broom box in its finished form: missiles, hobby horses, jet bikes, canoes and gyrocopters alongside the classic broomstick. #340