DEFINITELY NOT PONG

It started simple. It didn’t stay that way.

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About

Definitely Not Pong is a narrative meta-arcade game about five developers building something small — and slowly transforming it into something unrecognizable.

What begins as a clean competitive experience evolves through insecurity, ambition, ego, and the fear that “simple” isn’t enough.

Concept

• Four programmers. One artist.
• A simple competitive prototype.
• Each phase introduces a “good idea.”
• No feature is ever removed — only added.

Gameplay Evolution

• Phase 1: The ball speeds up. It feels better.
• Phase 2: Sprint and stamina are introduced. It feels unnecessary.
• Phase 3: Smaller paddles, full movement, redesign. They double down.
• Phase 4: Bullets enter the arena. Chaos becomes fun.
• Phase 5: Portals distort space. Skill ceiling explodes.
• Phase 6: The rules invert. Touching the ball becomes fatal.

Initial Vision

- Two paddles
- One ball
- Increasing speed
- Pure competitive clarity

Final Build

- Sprint meter
- Shrinking paddles
- Projectile combat
- Portal physics
- Health system
- Audio confession on first death
- Forced shutdown after the second

Theme

Every feature makes sense on its own.
Together, they erase the original idea.

A game about creative ambition — and the cost of never stepping back.