Shady Bears

🐻 Shady Bears: Mastering the Recursive Time-Loop Algorithm

Shady Bears is a deceptively simple platformer that introduces a profound mechanics shift: the weaponization of the player's own history. In the genre of recursive puzzle-platformers (similar to classics like Braid or Super Time Force), this game creates difficulty not through enemy AI, but through input mirroring. You play as a bear attempting to collect honey, but every movement you make is recorded. After a set interval, a "Shadow" appears and executes your exact input history. If your Shadow touches you, it's Game Over.

This transforms the game from a reflex challenge into a 4D spatial puzzle. You are navigating X, Y, and Time. Every step you take is a trap you are laying for your future self. This forces a unique style of "defensive movement" where efficiency is actually dangerous. The most direct path is often the deadliest because it leaves no room for error when the Shadow replays it.

🧠 Cognitive Load: Working Memory and Spatial Prediction

Playing Shady Bears imposes a heavy load on the brain's executive functions, specifically regarding memory and inhibition:

• Spatial Working Memory: The player must maintain a mental map of where they were 5, 10, or 15 seconds ago. "I jumped on that platform just now, so in 3 seconds, a Shadow will land there. I must move." This continuous updating of the "threat map" is intense cognitive training.
• Inhibition Control: The instinct in platformers is to rush to the exit. In Shady Bears, rushing creates a fast, erratic Shadow that is impossible to dodge. The game trains you to slow down and move deliberately, inhibiting the impulse for speed.
• Predictive Pathing: You are essentially playing a game of "Snake" with gravity. You must plan a route that does not intersect with your own tail (the Shadows).

🎮 Mechanics & The Shadow Engine

Understanding the rules of the Shadow AI is critical for survival:

• The Delay Buffer: Shadows do not appear instantly. There is a delay (often changing between levels). This delay is your "safety window." If the delay is short, the game feels like a chase. If the delay is long, it feels like a memory test.
• Collision Rules: Shadows interact with you, but typically do not interact with collectibles (acorns/honey) or physical obstacles in the same way. They are "ghosts" that kill on contact.
• Shadow Stacking: In later levels, multiple Shadows spawn. Shadow 1 mimics your first run. Shadow 2 might mimic your second run. The screen becomes filled with multiple iterations of your past behavior, creating a chaotic web of danger zones.

🏆 Survival Tactics & Meta-Strategies

1. The "Looping" Movement Pattern

Never backtrack along a straight line. If you run to the right and then immediately turn back to the left, your Shadow will eventually do the same, creating a "head-on collision" scenario on that flat plane. Instead, move in circular loops. Jump over your previous path. If you move in a circle, your Shadow will chase you in a circle, keeping a safe distance behind you.

2. The "Safe Parking" Technique

If you need to wait for a moving platform or an opening, do not run in tight circles. Instead, go to a safe corner of the map and stand perfectly still for 5 seconds. When the Shadow eventually reaches this point in the replay, it will also stand still for 5 seconds. This effectively "pauses" the threat, buying your future self a window of safety to maneuver without being chased.

3. Baiting the Jump

When jumping onto a small platform, try to jump to the far edge. If you land in the middle, your Shadow will land in the middle, occupying the whole safe space. By landing on the edge, you leave room for your current self to stand on the other edge when the Shadow arrives.

🛡️ Technical Info & Performance

Designed for low-latency browser play:

• Input Polling: The game polls keyboard inputs at a high frequency to ensure the Shadow's playback is 1:1 with your original movement. Any lag would break the fairness of the game.
• Hitbox Precision: The hitboxes are pixel-tight. There is very little "coyote time" or forgiveness when touching a Shadow, emphasizing the need for clean movement.

❓ FAQ