Drowning mouse

Inspiration

We were inspired by rescue-style gameplay and time-pressure mechanics, similar to projects we’ve built before (like UMEC), but wanted to add a light-hearted twist using mice, boats, and cheese. The theme fit perfectly with the hackathon’s cheese and friendship categories while still allowing for meaningful gameplay decisions.

What it does

Drowning Mouse is a time-based rescue game where players control a mouse piloting a boat across the ocean to save drowning mice. Each rescued mouse earns cheese, with higher-priority mice rewarding more cheese but requiring faster response. Players must manage fuel, boat capacity, and time to maximize their score.

How we built it

We built the game using Godot (3D). The project uses scene-based architecture for the player boat, drowning mice, and world environment. Core systems include movement physics, fuel consumption, timed mouse spawning, collision-based rescue, scoring, and a simple UI HUD to track fuel, cheese, and capacity.

Challenges we ran into

Balancing multiple systems at once—fuel, timers, spawning rates, and capacity—was challenging, especially under a tight time limit. We also had to scope down from multiplayer to single-player to ensure the core gameplay was solid and polished.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of delivering a complete and playable core loop with clear mechanics and progression. The priority-based rescue system and capacity trade-offs create meaningful decisions without overcomplicating the game.

What we learned

We learned how important scoping and prioritization are in game development. Building a strong core loop first made the game more fun and easier to extend. We also gained hands-on experience with Godot’s scene system, signals, and gameplay scripting.

Built With

• gdscript
• godot