Starcats

Starcats is a title featured at IndieCade 2017.

About Starcats
Starcats is a 4-player, local couch co-operative / competitive game, where players find themselves crashed on a planet with their life support depleting. Inspired by the theory of the Prisoner's Dilemma, Starcats explores the dynamics of what makes friends, acquaintances, or even strangers, work together or against each other in sight of a larger goal. It’s a party game where cooperation is a strategy, not a requirement.

While there are various mechanics at play in Starcats, the main mechanic centers on players’ energy (health) and how it depletes. In Starcats, each player only loses energy when they move or perform an action. Different actions deplete energy at different rates, based off the player’s heart rate at that time. Player’s can opt out of using energy, and in turn slow their heart rate, by choosing to sit down. However, in order for the players to escape the planet on their ship and therefore end the round, they must navigate the map and activate generators. Thus, the game is unable to be played unless players choose to expend their finite amount of energy.

Each player may have a finite amount of energy, but they can gain more by choosing to murder their fellow players. Several factors play into this decision. For instance, in order to kill someone, a player must throw a rock and strike another player. Carrying a rock increases a player’s heart rate, which in turn causes them to lose energy at a faster rate. And not only does murder cause players to inevitably hurt themselves through energy depletion, but by attempting to murder another player, that player is signaling to all others that they are willing to get rid anyone in their way if it means they will win the game.

If a player successfully murders another player, that player is not out of the game yet. Once dead, each player becomes a ghost, and is able to “haunt” living players. When a player is being haunted, their heart rate increases, causing them to expend energy faster. In addition, a player’s movement speed is reduced if they are being haunted, and these effects are only made worse for each additional ghost that is haunting a living player. Ghosts also have unique mechanics, such as a “force pull” ability that can hinder a player’s forward movement or the “possess” ability, which can be used to possess objects around the map or even objects live players are currently trying to use.

Through these energy mechanics and others, Starcats offers an opportunity for players to really find out what motivates their fellow players more; individual or collective success.

Screenshots
Coverage of Starcats on the IndieCade wiki!