How to make a twin-stick shooter
How to make a top-down twin-stick shooter with AI
Updated
Quick answer
A twin-stick shooter separates moving from aiming: keys walk you around, the mouse or second stick points your weapon. Tell Teleplay that, name what attacks you, and say what happens between waves. It builds the game in about half an hour with the controls listed on its page.
Top-down shooters to open
Say how it aims
If you don't mention aiming, you may get a game where you fire the way you walk. That is a fine game but a different one. Use the words "aim with the mouse" and "move with WASD" in your sentence, or ask for them in the editor. On phones, the game has to draw its own on-screen controls, so simple aiming works better there.
The real prompt
Pilot a tiny maintenance drone through endless waves of mutant spore pods and thorn crawlers in an overgrown glass dome, bolting on new upgrades between waves.
This prompt made PRUNEBOT 9: Greenhouse Panic
It gives the game a pace without saying so: the phrase "between waves" creates a rest and a decision, which is what stops a shooter from wearing players out.
Designing the waves
| Wave | Add | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | One slow enemy | Teaches moving and aiming at once |
| 3–4 | A fast one that rushes | Forces the first retreat |
| 5 | One that shoots from afar | Stops corner camping |
| Then | A boss or mixed waves | Tests all of it together |
You can write this order straight into your sentence or ask for it later. Keep the arena small at first: a large empty room makes these games feel slow. And invent your own hero and monsters: the game you get is an original one, never a copy of another shooter's characters or art.
With friends
Choose With friends on Create and say whether players fight together or against each other. Rooms hold 2–4 players in beta and join by link; each player uses their own keys in their own browser.
Questions
What does twin-stick mean?
The name comes from gamepads with two thumbsticks, one to move and one to aim. On a computer the same idea is keys plus mouse.
Can I have many weapons?
Ask for two that feel different first. Add more in the editor once those two work.
Why do the enemies all feel the same?
Give each one a habit in the sentence: rushes, circles, keeps its distance. Names alone don't change behavior.
Can I make it a roguelite?
You can ask for upgrades between runs or waves, as the example does. Read the plan to see what the build will include.