Nevin here, with the prototype for our game flow  completed! Along with the monster spawning and combat mechanics.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pcUpE-d1nrrQXz0PJAmd_UKrKOOXxk21/view?usp=shari...

Game Flow

1. When the game starts, the searching of elements will automatically start cycling between searching and discovering w/ 1 sec intervals. The next element to be discovered is always cycling, going from water > fire > earth > wind, marking the first step of our game flow.
2. While an element is discovered, you press 'spacebar' and it goes into your hand, shown to the right of the searching panel. For now, you can only hold one element in your hand at a time, so since your inventory is full, the searching stops.
3. With an element in hand, you press 'spacebar' twice in order to use it. It gets consumed and empties your hand, then the game flow starts all over again.

Monsters

The colored capsules that move on screen represent monsters of various simple elements: water (blue), fire (red), earth (green), and wind (white). As we continue to make more progression with our game, I'll be calibrating the monster-spawner in order to make the game design feel fast-paced by changing the spawn rate and the monsters' speed, and working to build a progression system that increases this.

The video shows the player-monster interaction during the third step of the game flow, which is using the element. When the player uses the element in their hand, the game checks to compare what element is in hand and what type of element the front monster is. If the player has water and the front monster is fire, then the player destroys it. Same thing for fire against earth, earth against wind, and wind against water. In some instances I've also shown when I try to use an incorrect element against a monster, in which case it consumes the element in hand but does nothing since it has no effect on the monster.

What To Work On Next (Programming)

• Progression System to increase pacing over time
• Calibrate monster spawn rate, monster speed, element cycling
• Add additional mechanics (maybe stashing up to one element to use later?)
• Player lives/hits
• Timer
• Perhaps composite elements/monsters
• Helping!