Alone in the Loop: Building a Space Game About Purpose and Silence in 4 Days

Four days. That’s all I had.

I joined the GMTK Game Jam 2025 with one goal: to create something emotionally resonant — even if it was small. The theme was "Loop", and instead of making a gameplay loop, I wanted to explore a psychological and existential one. A loop that couldn't be broken.

🛰️ The Concept

In the game, you are Alpha-7, a cloned explorer sent to scan over 10 million procedurally generated planets. With each descent, you collect data. With each report, you hope to find a trace of life.

But nothing changes. Every planet is stunning, alien, mysterious — and lifeless.

You're not searching for a home.
You're following a directive you never chose.
And you’re alone, except for the ship’s AI.

The twist? You begin to realize you’re not the first Alpha. You're just another iteration. A simulated mind, in a cycle without end.

🔧 Development

This game was made completely from scratch in Unity, solo, over 4 days — including:

• Procedural planet generator

• Atmospheric fog and visual effects

• Interactive AI terminal

• Original sound design using free assets

• Skeleton character and light-footstep audio work

• Writing, design, UI, polish, and optimization

The hardest part was restraint. I wanted to do more — dialogues, endings, deeper choices — but time was brutal. Instead, I focused on tone and emotion.

🌌 What I Learned

• A simple mechanic with strong narrative can carry a project.

• Procedural generation + emotional minimalism is a powerful combo.

• You don’t need explosions. Silence and repetition can be just as loud.

If you’ve played the game — thank you.
If you voted — you’re amazing.
If you’re just discovering it now, I hope it gives you a chill, or at least a pause.

Here’s the game: https://stechkomsoftware.itch.io/cosmoloop
And if you want to connect, I’m Uğur CAN — a solo dev from Turkey making weird games about big feelings.

🧠