Retrax

RETRAX is a physics-driven 2D platformer built around momentum, a mechanical chain hook and objects that follow clear rules.

You control a small rolling machine. Fire the hook, reel the chain in or out, build a swing and find a way through each room.

RETRAX is in very early pre-alpha. It is not content-complete, and everything shown here may still change.

The current build contains the first three levels. I am sharing this small playtest to check whether the mechanics feel right, find bugs and balance how the game uses energy.

Physics you can learn

Wood, metal, explosives and safes do not behave in the same way. A hook may break one object, carry another or bounce away. Weight, speed and impact matter.

A metal crate can become a tool. A bomb can start a chain reaction. Broken walls and objects fall apart into pieces that stay in the room for a while.

Already working

• Short and charged hook shots, reeling, swinging and mid-air control.
• Physics puzzles built from momentum, weight and timing.
• Moving, falling and swinging platforms, pressure plates, doors and hatches.
• Material-based crates, breakable walls, glass, explosions and physical debris.
• Laser hazards, patrol machines, checkpoints and persistent saves.

Current state

I have spent roughly six weeks building the foundation: the game engine, physics, save system, desktop shell and level editor are in place.

Now I am building the actual game — designing puzzles, drawing environments and turning separate mechanics into complete levels. There is no release date yet.

This release is an early playtest, not a finished demo. The three included levels are there to test the foundation before I build more of the game.

Feedback I need

If you play, I would especially like to know:

• Does movement with the hook feel clear and predictable?
• Did any puzzle feel confusing for the wrong reason?
• Did you find a bug, get stuck or have to restart unexpectedly?
• Did the energy costs feel fair? Did you run out of water too often, or never have to think about it?

You do not need to write a formal report. A short comment with the level name and what happened is enough.

If this sounds interesting, follow the page. I will post new builds and devlogs when there is something worth showing.

Controls

• A / D or arrow keys — move
• Space — jump; press again in the air for a water-powered double jump
• Mouse — aim
• Left mouse button — fire; hold for a longer charged shot
• W / S or up / down — reel the chain in or out
• Q or right mouse button — release the oldest hook
• R — restart from the last checkpoint

Keyboard controls can be remapped in the game.

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IMPORTANT: This is a portable game. Extract the ZIP file and run retrax.exe. Since the game is not digitally signed, Windows may display an unknown publisher warning.