Formation Break

Formation Break is a real-time strategy game developed for the Game Boy Advance using Butano. Controlling a small number of squads, you must use positioning, timing, and tactical formations to outplay your enemies. The game currently includes 8 single player missions and working link cable multiplayer.

Formation Break began as a programming and design challenge to explore how RTS mechanics could be adapted to a system with limited input and hardware constraints. The game features abstracted unit control, pathfinding, tactical formations, and multiplayer systems designed specifically for the Game Boy Advance.
 
Controls:

D-Pad — Move camera

A — Move squad

B — Change formation

L / R — Cycle through squads

Select — Buy menu

Start — Pause menu

IMPORTANT: Play the first two campaign missions to understand the game mechanics! Eventually there will be a short GBA style game manual.

Project TODO's:

• Replace placeholder audio
• Finish units sprites and add final price after final balance pass
• Add level 3-8 (Finished but not added until final balance pass)
• Fix multiplayer desync issue and combat resolving differently for both players (Related to missing enemy assets for some units. I believe I know how to fix it but won't have time until this weekend. Unfortunately that means multiplayer is broken for now)
• Add unit being damaged indicator
• Re-do in game UI
• Mission complete / game over screens
• Screen-edge directional indicators (Need a better way to direct the player to squads in combat
• Add manual (Will include a more detailed breakdown of unit stats)
• Final balance pass
• Re-evaluate pathing algorithm cost. (Current implementation is causing slowdown in multiplayer)
• Create post-mortem and technical breakdown of multiplayer, fog of war, and pathing.

Credits

• Design & Programming: Brian Conn
• Engine: Butano
• Unit Sprites: Aleksandr Makarov
• Temporary Audio: Butano Example Assets