WaveLength Wanderer

Hey everyone! For the Pi Day Game Jam 2026, I wanted to create an interactive experiment that plays with one of my absolute favorite concepts in physics: wave mechanics. Welcome to Wavelength Wanderer.

Instead of just controlling a standard character, you get to literally manipulate the mathematics of a wave function in real-time. It’s a casual, physics-inspired endless runner, and honestly, it's just incredibly satisfying to play with the underlying math!

The Vibe & Soundtrack:

I wanted the environment to feel like a deep-space optics laboratory, a pure, pitch-black cosmic abyss illuminated only by the brilliant neon glow of your photon's trail. To help you lock into that perfect state of focus, the game is driven by a seamlessly looping 128 BPM DarkSynth track. The heavy analog basslines and echoing synth arpeggios keep your momentum pushing forward, turning mathematical survival into a rhythmic, almost trance-like flow state.

The Physics at Play:

• Sine Wave Surfing: You're in charge of the variables. Smoothly tune the Amplitude , Wave Number , and Frequency to map out the perfect trajectory for your traveling photon.
• Optical Obstacles: You'll have to slip through narrow void gaps, perfectly match your wavelength to pass safely through chromatic glass prisms, and navigate beautiful (but deadly!) double-slit interference patterns.
• Time Dilation: Is the simulation moving too fast? Bend the rules a bit! Trigger Time Dilation to slow things down, giving yourself a precious few seconds to carefully calculate and adjust your wave equation before colliding with a barrier.

Laboratory Controls:

• Mouse / Touch: Drag the dashboard sliders to adjust your Amplitude, Wave Number, and Frequency on the fly.
• Spacebar or D: Activate Time Dilation.
• P or ESC: Pause the experiment to catch your breath.