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Synaptic Sugar
@synapticsugar.games
1.2K followers 15 following 110 posts
We're a small indie dev team aiming to make humorous, whimsical, imaginative games that can be enjoyed by most ages.

Our first game is #AgentsOfGroove, a story-driven rhythm game in development for Playdate.

Find out more at https://synapticsugar.games
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synapticsugar.games
What folk dare to whisper under cover of darkness about Angus Weathervane is steeped in mystery and rumors. Surely those tales of pirates controlling the seas with an army of birds at their command cannot be true? Find out in #AgentsOfGroove!

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate #ScreenshotSaturday
A 1-bit screenshot from the game Agents of Groove. A portrait of a pirate wearing a big hat and a thick black beard is on the right side, over a name tag that says "Angus Weathervane". A bird, likely a seagull from the looks of it, sits on the pirate's shoulder, and appears to wear a tiny bandana above its eyes. Both the pirate and the bird have their mouth open as if shouting angrily. A text box on the left side says "Captain Weathervane for th'likes o' ye!" above an icon representing the A button. The whole thing is over a background that looks like a folder complete with a paperclip in the corner, a coffee mug stain and a stamp partially visible that says "Top Secret".
October 18, 2025 at 9:55 PM
synapticsugar.games
One of the younger #AgentsOfGroove, who often teases Daley for relying on time-tested methods, Paul Hanover may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but is nevertheless an invaluable ally and a skilled tinkerer with H.Y.P.E. equipment in the field!

#playdate #gamedev #indiedev #ScreenshotSaturday
A portrait, on the right side, of a man with long straight hair and a thick horseshoe moustache, wearing a bandana and smiling with his mouth slightly open, over a name tag that says "Paul Hanover". A text box, on the left side, says "Oh, right on, that explains why I can't remember anything! Or I think it does?" above an icon representing the A button.
October 11, 2025 at 10:19 PM
synapticsugar.games
What is this robot after, and how is it connected to the G.R.O.O.V.E. case? A case more unsettling at every step, like a tall tale told by an excitable sailor in exchange for the promise of more attention. Find out in #AgentsOfGroove!

#playdate #gamedev #indiedev #ScreenshotSaturday
October 4, 2025 at 11:51 PM
synapticsugar.games
Melody Handler, information expert on the #AgentsOfGroove team, works behind the scenes planning missions, accessing remote systems, and guiding the agents. Often Daley's last defense against danger, she just as often has to save him from himself.

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate #ScreenshotSaturday
A portrait of a smiling woman wearing stylish glasses, large hoop earrings, and a black turtleneck is on the right side. A text card is on the left side, with the text: "As such, you won't generally see me in the field much, but you'll certainly hear from me!", and an icon representing the A button lies underneath it.
September 27, 2025 at 4:41 AM
synapticsugar.games
Let's start a series about the characters of #AgentsOfGroove! And who best to start with than Daley Bellbottoms, legendary undercover dancer and Rhythm wrangler of secret organization G.R.O.O.V.E.? 🪩

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate #ScreenshotSaturday #pixelart #1bit
A portrait of Daley Bellbottoms, a friendly-looking man with a big head of curly hair, glasses and thick sideburns and mustache. Some chest hair pokes through the open collar of his shirt. A dialog card on the right side of the portrait reads: I've been doing this for a long time, with Mel's help of course!
September 21, 2025 at 1:49 AM
synapticsugar.games
You've seen how the art for #playdate game #AgentsOfGroove evolved over time, but how did the game levels come together?

We made a simple visual editor to make the process a lot easier, especially for long levels like this one. This is what it looks like!

#gamedev #indiedev #ScreenshotSaturday
A level editor screenshot showing the title "Synaptic Sugar Level Editor - doc01Level" at the very top. Right below the title and the program's menu bar, a rendered view of the art from the Docks level of Agents of Groove covers the full width and about a third of the image. This view shows the same spot we showed in previous posts, with 1-bit pixel art of the loading docks, crates, barrels and oil drums scattered around in a messy arrangement, broken glass and a hole in the ground surrounded by construction cones. A guard is in the top middle, with his back turned. Below the rendered view, the image is split in three sections: the leftmost area shows a list of collapsible UI elements referencing the objects in the rendered view. One element is expanded and shows four sub-fields: name, position, type, layer, with associated values. A delete button is also visible for this entry. The middle portion contains a grid with individual sprites and their internal names ("docksCrate", "docksBottle3", and several others). The rightmost area is empty and only contains two buttons that say "collapse all" and "expand all". Horizontal or vertical scroll bars in all sections imply that there's a lot more to scroll through.
September 14, 2025 at 12:03 AM
synapticsugar.games
We call #AgentsOfGroove a story-driven rhythm game, and conversations are an important part of the experience. Here's another example of how the art for these evolved during development, comparing the current state against the earliest prototype.

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate #ScreenshotSaturday
Screenshot of the current state of the art. A conversation is happening over a background image of a folder that comes from a set of confidential files, stamped with the words "Top Secret" and complete with a paper clip over the top and a round stain from a coffee mug. In the foreground the portrait of the speaking character, in this case a smiling woman wearing stylish glasses and round earrings, sits on the right side. The name tag "Melody Handler" is visible underneath the portrait. A box with rounder corners enclosing the text "*sighs* Nevermind all that, he does it all the time." is on the left side, and below it sits an icon representing the A button on the Playdate. Screenshot from the earliest prototype. The background here is nothing more than solid white color, a similar portrait of a smiling woman is on the right side, but the art is simpler and much less refined. A text box saying "Let me tell you more about this!" is on the left side, above a smaller and rougher icon representing the A button. There is no name tag, unlike in the other screenshot.
September 7, 2025 at 2:11 AM
synapticsugar.games
Continuing the series on the evolution of #AgentsOfGroove: the club level art as well as the button matching gameplay UI both changed a lot over two years. This was the first level we prototyped when we started experimenting on the #playdate!

#gamedev #indiedev #ScreenshotSaturday #pixelart #1bit
A very early screenshot of the Cat and Fox club level from Agents of Groove. The art is still a rough placeholder, but the main elements are there: Daley Bellbottoms on the left side of the rectangular dance floor seen in perspective from an elevated position, another dancer on the right side, the big disco ball spinning on top. A and B button icons are scrolling at the bottom from right to left, and a text label reads "Perfect!" above the lower middle, commenting on player performance with the most recent button press. Another label, right in the middle of the screen, reads "Crank it up!", which was also the working name for Agents of Groove at the time. A third label is in the upper right corner and reads "Score: 5025". Two big speakers are in the back of the scene, at the corners of the dance floor, and the silhouette of a crowd completes the picture in the background. The same scene, but with art that is already a lot closer to its final form. There are now four characters on the dance floor and they're much more defined. Sections of the floor, as well as spotlights above, light up as the player presses the buttons corresponding to the scrolling icons, which are completely redrawn and catch on fire when the player is doing well. The disco ball has much more detail, depicting the small mirror sections, and the crowd in the background is also more recognizable and defined. There's now a placeholder DJ console at the bottom, behind the scrolling icons, with a vinyl record spinning on it, but the art for it is still simple and sparse. A vertical bar is on the left side of the screen, completely full. A text label in the upper right corner reads "14800" Progress is evident in this third shot, with a new disco ball that is more stylized and polished. The background is also more polished, and a whole new DJ console is in the scene, showing a pair of headphones and various knobs, cables, and sliders. The record spinning on it has been redrawn as well. The card in the upper right corner has a smaller size and a border around it, as well as a different font and reads "18825". This screenshot depicts the current state of the art. The characters are more polished, the button prompts are completely different, larger, and use d-pad icons instead of the letters A and B as before. They're highlighted in different ways, including with flashing rings or stars rather than small flames. The vertical bar on the left is slimmer and has a star about 80% of the way up.
August 29, 2025 at 4:07 AM
synapticsugar.games
As development on #AgentsOfGroove gets ever closer to completion, let's recap how some of the art evolved over time, starting with a sequence of screenshots for the sneaky docks level. From its earliest prototype era to its likely final form!

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate #ScreenshotSaturday
A scene at the docks, with a guard alerted by a suspicious upside down cardboard box that may or may not be moving. The scene is a bit sparse, the background a bit rough, and the box is small and clearly not final art. Oil drums and trashcans are present at various points. UI elements like a vertical bar, partially filled, on the left, and a small card with the score in the upper right corner are present. Same scene, but this time the background is more refined, has more detail and variety, new items like different types of crates have made their appearance. The score card is larger and has changed font style. There's an all new cardboard box, larger and more detailed, and other elements like a hole open in the ground and surrounded by cones, due to construction. In the final form presented here, the scene has many more crates, broken glass, a bottle, all art has been polished including the oil drums that have some shading on them. The score card is gone, and a second vertical bar has appeared below the original one on the left.
August 23, 2025 at 4:52 AM
synapticsugar.games
We're soon releasing Agents of Groove, a story-driven rhythm game that is inspired visually by games such as those on the original GameBoy and other hand-held devices of the time!
August 21, 2025 at 3:25 AM
synapticsugar.games
You never know who or what you will encounter in #AgentsOfGroove, and when all else fails the best way to resolve a dispute may be a good, old-fashioned dance-off. Try not to make mistakes! 🕺 🪩

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate #ScreenshotSaturday
An encounter with a robot. A character stands on the left side, and a big robot on the right side, facing each other. The setting is that of a factory, with a conveyor belt moving rubber ducks directly behind the two characters, a strange machine in the middle, and some large oil spills on the floor. Button prompts scroll from right to left over a DJ console at the bottom of the screen.
June 28, 2025 at 11:50 PM
synapticsugar.games
This is Agents of Groove, an in-development story-driven rhythm game for Playdate! synapticsugar.games/games/agents...
Agents of Groove level taking place in a dance club. Legendary dancer/agent Daley Bellbottoms is in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by three other characters also dancing, under a large spinning disco ball. Spotlights and sections of the floor are lighting up, a crowd dances in the background, and button icons scroll from right to left at the bottom of the screen, over a DJ console.
June 28, 2025 at 5:33 PM
synapticsugar.games
Much polish and many additions went into #AgentsOfGroove for #playdate in the last few months. For example, here's an updated version of the Cat and Fox Club location. New look, same perfect cover for a hidden base for the secret dancers of G.R.O.O.V.E.!

#gamedev #indiedev #ScreenshotSaturday
April 26, 2025 at 10:18 PM
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4) dance-off levels are the equivalent of boss fights in this game. Will you be able to match the required input sequences without making mistakes?

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate
April 16, 2025 at 3:19 AM
synapticsugar.games
3) sneaking levels have no UI prompts, and instead require you to move through the level in rhythm with the music, using other visual and aural cues as needed. You can move with the d-pad and/or the crank!

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate
April 16, 2025 at 3:19 AM
synapticsugar.games
2) traversal levels may also use the crank, but only as a secondary input. The main focus here is on timing the button presses correctly!

#gamedev #indiedev #playdate
April 16, 2025 at 3:19 AM
synapticsugar.games
As the new recruit in secret agency G.R.O.O.V.E. you will meet four level types in #Playdate story-driven rhythm game #AgentsOfGroove 🕺 Let's recap in a thread! 🧵

1) dance levels, the main type, will have you turn the crank and press the right buttons in rhythm with the music:

#gamedev #indiedev
April 16, 2025 at 3:19 AM
synapticsugar.games
We're working on Agents of Groove, a story-driven rhythm game for Playdate

synapticsugar.games/games/agents...

bsky.app/profile/syna...
April 13, 2025 at 10:53 PM
synapticsugar.games
As Agents of Groove for @play.date approaches beta (!), Daley Bellbottoms would like to remind everyone that G.R.O.O.V.E. disguises can be highly flammable and thus should be handled with caution in the field.

#gamedev #indiedev #pixelart #1bit #ScreenshotSaturday #AgentsOfGroove
April 12, 2025 at 10:52 PM
synapticsugar.games
Working on Agents of Groove, a story-driven rhythm game for the Playdate console! In a world where music and dancing have real power, a group of undercover agents stumbles upon a sinister plot... but will they be able to stop it?

Here's a recent gif of one still-in-development level:
March 24, 2025 at 4:54 PM
synapticsugar.games
Challenge accepted! Here's a screenshot of a very, very early but playable #AgentsOfGroove prototype (on the left, if you can't tell 😬) vs. the most recent look for the same level (on the right!). The game has come a long way! 🪩 🕺

#playdate #gamedev #indiedev #1bit #pixelart
Game level taking place in a dance club. The main character is off to the left, a character resembling a ballerina is on the right. Button icons marked A and B are scrolling at the bottom from right to left, while a disco ball hangs in the air. Two large speakers are at the top corners of the image, and the static silhouette of a crowd can be seen toward the top. Three text labels are also present: "Perfect!" right above the button icons; "Crank it up!" below the disco ball; "Score: 5025" in the top right corner. Same game level taking place in a dance club, but the art is a lot more polished. The main character is in the center, surrounded by three other dancers, while the game UI shows button inputs scrolling by at the bottom, highlighted with flashing halos or stars, depending on player timing, over a DJ console with a record spinning on top. A mirror ball spins overhead, while the floor lights up in rhythm with the dance moves. The crowd is now more dynamic and better defined. A vertical bar appears on the left side, full. A single text label is in the top right corner, reading "25075".
March 6, 2025 at 8:08 PM
synapticsugar.games
New art feature in #AgentsOfGroove: some levels will have appropriately themed DJ consoles. Find them throughout the game as an extra treat! Art, as always, by @nethercat.bsky.social

#gamedev #indiedev #ScreenshotSaturday #playdate #1bit #pixelart
Three images stacked on top of one another, all similar with a DJ console with various knobs and sliders and a record in the middle, but different in other details. In the top image, cables come out of the sides and onto the counter, and a pair of headphones rests to the left of the counter. In the middle image the headphones are replaced by diving goggles with a starfish on top, another stardish and barnacles are attached to the console, and a tentacle comes in from the lower right side as if reaching for the record or other controls. In the bottom image the counter has more of a wooden texture, a mug lies on its side to the left, next to some coins and a map, while a compass lays open on the right side of the counter.
March 1, 2025 at 7:18 PM
synapticsugar.games
When all else fails, the only way to solve a dispute may be a good, old-fashioned dance-off:
February 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM
synapticsugar.games
#AgentsOfGroove often requires turning the Playdate crank or pressing buttons in rhythm with the music, but the usual prompts will sometimes give way to different visual cues, for example when helping Daley sneak by undetected:
February 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
synapticsugar.games
Gameplay progresses through four level types, all riffing on the theme of moving along with the rhythm:
February 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM