PUMPKICK
A Halloween arcade game where you kick pumpkins and collect candy
PUMPKICK
PUMPKICK — A Retro Halloween Candy Adventure
PUMPKICK delivers pure Halloween fun wrapped in charming PICO-8 pixel art. You're a costumed kid on a mission to collect every piece of candy scattered across spooky levels. The twist? You'll need to kick pumpkins strategically to clear paths and create routes to all that sweet loot. Once you've gathered every last candy, portals open to transport you to the next challenge.
🎮 What is PUMPKICK?
PUMPKICK is a retro-style arcade puzzle game built in PICO-8, the fantasy console known for its distinctive 16-color palette and nostalgic charm. As a trick-or-treating kid in costume, you navigate Halloween-themed levels filled with pumpkins and candy. The core mechanic revolves around kicking pumpkins to move them around, using them as obstacles or stepping stones to reach candy positioned in tricky spots.
The goal is simple but engaging: collect all candy in each level to unlock the exit portal. What makes PUMPKICK compelling is how it combines arcade action with light puzzle-solving. You'll need to think about pumpkin placement, plan your route through each level, and execute your candy collection run efficiently.
🕹️ Controls
PUMPKICK uses classic arcade controls that are simple yet precise:
| Action | Control |
|---|---|
| Move Up | ↑ Arrow Key or W |
| Move Down | ↓ Arrow Key or S |
| Move Left | ← Arrow Key or A |
| Move Right | → Arrow Key or D |
| Kick Pumpkin | Automatic when moving into pumpkin |
| Restart Level | R |
| Pause | P or ESC |
The controls are responsive and tight, giving you precise movement needed for navigating tight spaces and timing your pumpkin kicks.
🧩 How to Play PUMPKICK
Basic Gameplay
PUMPKICK follows a straightforward but addictive gameplay loop:
- Survey the Level – Each level starts with candy scattered around and pumpkins blocking your path
- Plan Your Route – Figure out which candy to collect first and which pumpkins need moving
- Kick Pumpkins – Move into pumpkins to kick them in the direction you're facing
- Collect Candy – Walk over candy pieces to collect them
- Unlock Portal – Once all candy is collected, the exit portal appears
- Enter Portal – Move to the portal to complete the level and advance
Pumpkin Kicking Mechanics
The core mechanic of PUMPKICK is the pumpkin kicking system:
- Direction Matters – Pumpkins are kicked in the direction you're moving
- Pumpkins Slide – Kicked pumpkins slide until they hit a wall or another object
- Chain Reactions – A kicked pumpkin can push other pumpkins
- Permanent Placement – Once a pumpkin stops, it stays there unless kicked again
- Strategic Positioning – Use pumpkins to create platforms or block unwanted paths
Level Progression
PUMPKICK features increasingly clever level designs:
- Early Levels – Simple candy collection with minimal pumpkin manipulation
- Mid Levels – Require careful pumpkin positioning to access hard-to-reach candy
- Late Levels – Complex puzzles where every pumpkin kick matters
- Challenge – Some levels have limited space, requiring perfect execution
📸 PUMPKICK Gameplay Journey
🎃 First Steps
Your first moments in PUMPKICK introduce you to the Halloween-themed world. The PICO-8 aesthetic gives everything a warm, nostalgic glow with its limited color palette and chunky pixels. Early levels are forgiving, teaching you that pumpkins can be kicked and that candy collection is your primary objective.
These introductory stages let you experiment with the kicking mechanic without pressure. You'll learn that timing and direction are important—kick a pumpkin the wrong way and you might block yourself from reaching candy.
🍬 Candy Collection Challenge
As you progress through PUMPKICK, levels become more complex. Candy is placed in increasingly clever positions—tucked behind pumpkin walls, positioned in narrow corridors, or requiring you to create a specific path to reach them.
This is where the puzzle elements emerge. You can't just rush through levels collecting candy in random order. You need to think about which pumpkins to kick first, where they'll end up, and whether you're creating or eliminating paths to remaining candy pieces.
🧠 Puzzle Solving
Mid to late-game PUMPKICK levels transform into genuine spatial puzzles. Some levels present candy that seems unreachable until you realize you need to kick pumpkins in a specific sequence. Others have tight corridors where one wrong pumpkin placement makes the level impossible to complete.
These puzzle-focused stages reward planning over reflexes. You'll often need to restart levels (thankfully quick with the R key) as you experiment with different pumpkin-kicking sequences to find the solution.
🚪 Portal Unlocked
The satisfying moment when you collect the final piece of candy and watch the portal appear is the heart of PUMPKICK. There's a real sense of accomplishment, especially on trickier levels where you had to carefully orchestrate multiple pumpkin kicks to create the right path.
The portal animation and the transition to the next level keep the pacing brisk. There's no downtime—just continuous Halloween arcade puzzle action.
PUMPKICK — A Retro Halloween Candy Adventure
PUMPKICK delivers pure Halloween fun wrapped in charming PICO-8 pixel art. You're a costumed kid on a mission to collect every piece of candy scattered across spooky levels. The twist? You'll need to kick pumpkins strategically to clear paths and create routes to all that sweet loot. Once you've gathered every last candy, portals open to transport you to the next challenge.
🎮 What is PUMPKICK?
PUMPKICK is a retro-style arcade puzzle game built in PICO-8, the fantasy console known for its distinctive 16-color palette and nostalgic charm. As a trick-or-treating kid in costume, you navigate Halloween-themed levels filled with pumpkins and candy. The core mechanic revolves around kicking pumpkins to move them around, using them as obstacles or stepping stones to reach candy positioned in tricky spots.
The goal is simple but engaging: collect all candy in each level to unlock the exit portal. What makes PUMPKICK compelling is how it combines arcade action with light puzzle-solving. You'll need to think about pumpkin placement, plan your route through each level, and execute your candy collection run efficiently.
🕹️ Controls
PUMPKICK uses classic arcade controls that are simple yet precise:
| Action | Control |
|---|---|
| Move Up | ↑ Arrow Key or W |
| Move Down | ↓ Arrow Key or S |
| Move Left | ← Arrow Key or A |
| Move Right | → Arrow Key or D |
| Kick Pumpkin | Automatic when moving into pumpkin |
| Restart Level | R |
| Pause | P or ESC |
The controls are responsive and tight, giving you precise movement needed for navigating tight spaces and timing your pumpkin kicks.
🧩 How to Play PUMPKICK
Basic Gameplay
PUMPKICK follows a straightforward but addictive gameplay loop:
- Survey the Level – Each level starts with candy scattered around and pumpkins blocking your path
- Plan Your Route – Figure out which candy to collect first and which pumpkins need moving
- Kick Pumpkins – Move into pumpkins to kick them in the direction you're facing
- Collect Candy – Walk over candy pieces to collect them
- Unlock Portal – Once all candy is collected, the exit portal appears
- Enter Portal – Move to the portal to complete the level and advance
Pumpkin Kicking Mechanics
The core mechanic of PUMPKICK is the pumpkin kicking system:
- Direction Matters – Pumpkins are kicked in the direction you're moving
- Pumpkins Slide – Kicked pumpkins slide until they hit a wall or another object
- Chain Reactions – A kicked pumpkin can push other pumpkins
- Permanent Placement – Once a pumpkin stops, it stays there unless kicked again
- Strategic Positioning – Use pumpkins to create platforms or block unwanted paths
Level Progression
PUMPKICK features increasingly clever level designs:
- Early Levels – Simple candy collection with minimal pumpkin manipulation
- Mid Levels – Require careful pumpkin positioning to access hard-to-reach candy
- Late Levels – Complex puzzles where every pumpkin kick matters
- Challenge – Some levels have limited space, requiring perfect execution
📸 PUMPKICK Gameplay Journey
🎃 First Steps
Your first moments in PUMPKICK introduce you to the Halloween-themed world. The PICO-8 aesthetic gives everything a warm, nostalgic glow with its limited color palette and chunky pixels. Early levels are forgiving, teaching you that pumpkins can be kicked and that candy collection is your primary objective.
These introductory stages let you experiment with the kicking mechanic without pressure. You'll learn that timing and direction are important—kick a pumpkin the wrong way and you might block yourself from reaching candy.
🍬 Candy Collection Challenge
As you progress through PUMPKICK, levels become more complex. Candy is placed in increasingly clever positions—tucked behind pumpkin walls, positioned in narrow corridors, or requiring you to create a specific path to reach them.
This is where the puzzle elements emerge. You can't just rush through levels collecting candy in random order. You need to think about which pumpkins to kick first, where they'll end up, and whether you're creating or eliminating paths to remaining candy pieces.
🧠 Puzzle Solving
Mid to late-game PUMPKICK levels transform into genuine spatial puzzles. Some levels present candy that seems unreachable until you realize you need to kick pumpkins in a specific sequence. Others have tight corridors where one wrong pumpkin placement makes the level impossible to complete.
These puzzle-focused stages reward planning over reflexes. You'll often need to restart levels (thankfully quick with the R key) as you experiment with different pumpkin-kicking sequences to find the solution.
🚪 Portal Unlocked
The satisfying moment when you collect the final piece of candy and watch the portal appear is the heart of PUMPKICK. There's a real sense of accomplishment, especially on trickier levels where you had to carefully orchestrate multiple pumpkin kicks to create the right path.
The portal animation and the transition to the next level keep the pacing brisk. There's no downtime—just continuous Halloween arcade puzzle action.
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