Finding the “Deja” in Deja Bounce (Designing a Pong-like with a twist)
Deja Bounce is a tiny Pong-like game I’m building in Python, but I don’t want it to be just another Pong clone that disappears in a sea of rectangles.
Right now the project is in development mode, just quietly existing while I figure out what makes it worth playing.
Why make another Pong at all?
Deja Bounce started as a testbed for my own mini game framework (mini-arcade-core) and a native SDL2 backend. I needed something simple to:- Stress-test scenes, input, and timing
- Play with a CPU opponent
- Get a complete “menu → game → back to menu” loop working
The core twist: inertia & a stubborn CPU
The first thing I added was inertia-based bounces:when you hit the ball with a moving paddle, the bounce angle changes based on your movement. It’s subtle, but it makes the ball feel less “math-perfect” and more “alive”.
There’s also a simple CPU opponent that can track the ball and keep rallies going. It’s not meant to be ultra-hard right now, just consistent enough that you can’t completely bully it.
This already feels better than a super basic Pong clone, but I want to push it a bit further before calling it 1.0.
What I want to improve before release
I’m exploring a few small, focused ideas to give Deja Bounce its own identity:
Rally intensity feedback
- Subtle effects when rallies get long:
- Slight background changes
- Paddle or ball trails that grow as the rally continues
- The idea: the game should feel more tense the longer the rally goes, without turning into visual noise.
Smarter-feeling CPU, not just “faster”
- Instead of just cranking up speed, I’d like the CPU to have simple “quirks”:
- Sometimes it reacts late
- Sometimes it predicts your direction
- Enough variation to give it a bit of personality, even if it’s still a very small game.
Tiny “deja vu” moments
- I’m playing with the idea that some rallies or scores might cause small visual callbacks:
- A rally that repeats a previous angle pattern
- A subtle echo of the ball’s past trajectory
- Nothing too fancy, just little touches that justify the “Deja” in Deja Bounce.
What I’d love feedback on
Before I hit a proper 1.0 release, I’m interested in:- What would make you pick this over another Pong clone?
- Do you prefer a chill, almost meditative Pong, or something fast and punishing?
- Are you into subtle visual feedback (vibes), or do you prefer raw minimalism?
If you’re into small arcade experiments, or you like seeing how people build tiny games around their own engines/frameworks, feel free to follow this project. I’ll post more updates as Deja Bounce grows from “framework test” into a mini-game that actually deserves a spot on the itch library
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