What:

Ctrl-FrogZ is a game made in Pico-8. The player controls a frog through the use of  directional movement, croaking, tongue attacks, fly collection, visibility-based stealth.

Why:

The goal of this project is to explore unusual movement mechanics and experiment with stealth systems in a small constraint bound environment. It’s a learning project to explore Pico-8 and code through modular logic, animation, and map generation. 

How:

Movement in Ctrl-FrogZ is intentional and timing-based. You press a direction to set your aim (the frog “squishes” in that direction), then commit by jumping. There’s no air control or canceling—once you leap, you’re committed. It’s slow by design to reward planning and make every jump feel deliberate.

The design is inspired by movement systems in Souls-like games, where every action has weight and timing. Frogs, in nature, are similar. Calm, still, and patient until making quick, powerful bursts of movement. The result is a system that feels reactive, but not twitchy. It’s more like a coiled spring than a bouncy ball.

The map is randomly generated each run, with different terrain types affecting visibility. Grass and water tiles help the frog hide; open areas increase an alert meter. As flies are collected, the map expands in increments, revealing new space and eventually (in future versions) new predators. A timer and fly counter track progression.

Predators, NPC frogs, and full alert escalation are still in progress.

Highlights:

• Built in Pico-8

• Anticipation and intent-based movement system

• Visibility system using tile flags and terrain logic

• Procedural map with hiding spots and fly placement

Materials:

• Pico 8

• Visual Studio Code