“Fields of Flame” is a top-down firefighting game where players face the daunting challenge of protecting Sunderside Valley from devastating wildfires. Set in a drought-stricken breadbasket turned tinderbox, you are the sole member of the local Fire Department tasked with controlling blazes that threaten to consume everything in their path. With dynamic fire propagation systems and strategic hose placement mechanics, players must make quick decisions to save as much of the golden wheat fields and structures as possible before they’re reduced to ash.
Development Background
Created by two people within a tight 48-hour timeframe for TOJam 2025. The challenging deadline pushed the team to focus on core gameplay mechanics while establishing a pixel art aesthetic that brings the burning fields of Sunderside Valley to life.
About the Game
In this tactical firefighting simulation, players navigate through increasingly hazardous scenarios where every second counts. As the sole firefighter of Sunderside Valley, you must strategically position yourself to access various hose locations throughout each level. The game’s signature dynamic fire system creates unpredictable blazes that spread faster through valuable terrain, forcing players to make difficult choices about what can be saved and what must be sacrificed.
Theme Interpretation
Interprets its theme through its core risk-reward mechanic: the more wheat fields and structures present on a map, the higher your potential score; but this abundance becomes your greatest threat. Each valuable tile acts as fuel that accelerates fire spread, creating an escalating challenge where prosperity becomes peril.
Key Features
- Dynamic fire propagation system that spreads based on ground tile types
- Strategic hose placement mechanics requiring thoughtful positioning
- Point-based scoring system rewarding saved structures and agricultural tiles
- Risk-reward gameplay where high-value areas burn faster and more intensely
Development Notes
The 48-hour development cycle presented significant challenges, particularly with build issues that emerged in the final hours. We identified several opportunities for improvement in organizational processes and the need to standardize certain aspects for future projects.
Despite time constraints, the core fire mechanics proved highly flexible and offer considerable potential for expansion. Several planned features had to be cut, including adjustable spray patterns, explosive barrels, locked doors that could be broken down, and the ability to deliberately set preventative fires to create firebreaks.
The biggest lesson learned from this project was our need to build out and standardize basic functions. Having a set way to handle menus, scene changes, audio and other such things, will mean less time reqrting similar boilerplate code and more time creating mechanics.
While these additional mechanics wouldn’t have been technically difficult to implement, perfecting their game feel was beyond the scope of the jam’s tight timeline. We consider the project a successful experiment with engaging mechanics that warrant further development and refinement in the future.
Screenshots
