From “Birdy” to Aviar — why rebuild?
May 23, 2025 • 6–7 min read
The public “Birdy” prototype proved two things: (1) players love the micro-decision rhythm of flap pathing; (2) once you add bosses and upgrades, tiny input delays feel huge. Aviar is the rebuild that fixes the foundations so late-game features don’t wobble.
What we kept
- Simple, readable input: single-button flap with micro-taps favored over long presses.
- Short-session loop but with depth: waves → boss → respite → escalate.
What we scrapped
- Heavy frameworks and unnecessary abstractions.
- Collision that drifted across framerates.
- Boss patterns that required luck rather than learning.
What changed
We rebuilt the canvas loop, rewrote collision, and planned upgrades/bosses together instead of bolting them on. Aviar is the “do it right” pass so we can scale content without new tech debt each time. Built with help from ChatGPT for ideas and drafts; final code is hand-tuned.