Deep Sea Bubble Rush

Deep Sea Bubble Rush is a 2D mini-game developed for Global Game Jam 2025. Players control a little clownfish navigating dark, twisting underwater tunnels to find its way back to safe waters. Along the journey, the fish must collect bubbles to break obstacles, avoid hazards, and escape the dangers lurking in the deep.

The game blends adventure, puzzle-solving, and hidden-object mechanics with charming pixel art and an underwater theme. It was built using C++ and features hand-drawn artwork created in Procreate.

Beneath the sea's depths lies a mysterious, uncharted realm. A clownfish was swept into this perilous world alone by a fierce storm. Stranded far from home, it has no choice but to summon all courage and navigate the twisting, dangerous deep-sea tunnels to find its way back to safe waters.

The game's narrative draws inspiration from the "spiritual tunnel predicament" of modern life. In our fast-paced world, we often lose our sense of self or our goals—but we keep striving to find ourselves and our purpose, pushing through darkness and setbacks to finally become who we want to be. Remember: Don't fear hardship; the light at the tunnel's end awaits.

The game features three distinct levels, each with increasing difficulty and unique visual themes:

• Level 1: Bright, shallow reef environments in light teal—an early stage for mastering controls and enjoying simple undersea fun.
• Level 2: Mid-ocean hues in deeper blue with hidden obstacles, introducing more complex tunnel layouts.
• Level 3: Darkest depths with the most challenging maze-like passages, requiring precise bubble management.

The sea's color serves as a visual indicator of difficulty: brighter colors indicate easier stages, while darker blues signal harder challenges ahead.

The game engine is built from the ground up in C++, featuring several core systems:

• Player Movement: Smooth 2D character controller with swimming physics, dash mechanics, and responsive input handling.
• Items & Enemies: Bubble collection system with resource management, plus enemy AI for Piranha (pursuit), Pufferfish (rotational attack), and environmental hazards.
• Victory Check: Level completion detection based on reaching the tunnel exit while managing health and bubble resources.
• Save System: Persistent game state saving progress and high scores across sessions.
• Map System: Dynamic level loading with tile-based map rendering and collision detection.