Deft Menace Games

Australian solo game developer bringing back ’80s arcade nostalgia. Working on Mallet Mayhem '84, a realistic air hockey game. [email protected]

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is nearly ready for its first playtest.
Next up: testing online with friends once Steamworks access is sorted.
Bringing back ’80s air hockey nights. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@sweetskokie21 Sharing Mallet Mayhem '84, my solo air hockey project. This is the latest gameplay in the arcade room, including a switch to the overhead view. I'm aiming for that "one more game" feeling, with real air hockey physics guiding the work.
https://t.co/pTtqyJGpCl

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is nearly ready for its first playtest.
Next up: testing online with friends once Steamworks access is sorted.
Bringing back ’80s air hockey nights. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@ErosDigiart Some fresh gameplay for the Friday thread! Mallet Mayhem '84 is my '80s air hockey sim, with real-table research behind the physics. This clip shows an AI match and both camera views. Still getting ready for the first friend playtests.
https://t.co/pTtqyJGpCl

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is nearly ready for its first playtest.
Next up: testing online with friends once Steamworks access is sorted.
Bringing back ’80s air hockey nights. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@indieforgames Mallet Mayhem '84 — an '80s air hockey sim for PC, built in Unreal 5 by an Australian solo dev. Here's the current AI-match gameplay. The first playtest build is nearly ready; online testing with friends is next once Steamworks access is sorted.
https://t.co/pTtqyJGpCl

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is nearly ready for its first playtest.
Next up: testing online with friends once Steamworks access is sorted.
Bringing back ’80s air hockey nights. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@PokeIndie Switching between the player-side and top-down views in Mallet Mayhem '84: seeing the same rally from both angles makes a big difference. The switch is near the end of this clip. Still refining the air hockey feel before friend playtests.
https://t.co/pTtqyJGpCl

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is nearly ready for its first playtest.
Next up: testing online with friends once Steamworks access is sorted.
Bringing back ’80s air hockey nights. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@GrouxThomas I'd try a soft glow on just a few plants so they guide the eye, with darker areas between them. I'm working on an '80s arcade for Mallet Mayhem '84, so atmosphere versus readability is on my mind too. Are the plants meant to help players find their way?

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@Gamer_Amanda007 Mallet Mayhem '84 is my solo-dev attempt to bring back air hockey nights: an '80s arcade, friendly competition and "one more game". Still building it. Arcade Warrior's video is a real-world reference for that feeling, not footage of my game.
https://t.co/qlvQC1Ue0R

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Remember air hockey nights and "one more game"?
With Mallet Mayhem '84, I want to recreate that nostalgia: friends, rivalry and the thrill of a last-second save.
Arcade Warrior's video captures the spirit: https://t.co/JtPlVbSVSV #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@3rdEchoSounds Hi Steve! I'm making Mallet Mayhem '84, an '80s air hockey game. The sound of puck hits cutting through an arcade is part of the feeling I want to bring back. How would you balance lively room ambience with keeping those impacts clear?

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@ICStatues Fellow solo dev here, building Mallet Mayhem '84 in Unreal 5. I'm aiming for '80s arcade atmosphere with air hockey physics informed by real tables and pro matches. Sharing the real-world arcade feeling behind it here; the game is still in development.
https://t.co/qlvQC1Ue0R

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Remember air hockey nights and "one more game"?
With Mallet Mayhem '84, I want to recreate that nostalgia: friends, rivalry and the thrill of a last-second save.
Arcade Warrior's video captures the spirit: https://t.co/JtPlVbSVSV #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@Darkania_Works @GrimTalin That focus on a particular feeling resonates. I'm making Mallet Mayhem '84 around arcade nostalgia: air hockey, friendly rivalry and wanting another game. This is real-world reference footage for the mood I'm chasing, not my gameplay.
https://t.co/qlvQC1Ue0R

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Remember air hockey nights and "one more game"?
With Mallet Mayhem '84, I want to recreate that nostalgia: friends, rivalry and the thrill of a last-second save.
Arcade Warrior's video captures the spirit: https://t.co/JtPlVbSVSV #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Remember air hockey nights and "one more game"?
With Mallet Mayhem '84, I want to recreate that nostalgia: friends, rivalry and the thrill of a last-second save.
Arcade Warrior's video captures the spirit: https://t.co/JtPlVbSVSV #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@nftangelart Mallet Mayhem '84 is still in development, so no public demo to send yet. I'm an Australian solo dev building an '80s air hockey game around research into real-table physics. Here's the latest main menu as the arcade comes together.
https://t.co/ypQwgiq646

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is starting to look like the arcade night I had in mind.
The menu, cabinets, patterned carpet and air hockey table are coming together.
Still building towards the feel of pro air hockey in Unreal 5. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@Gamer_Amanda007 Sharing the new main menu of Mallet Mayhem '84, my solo air hockey project. Wood panelling, patterned carpet and a Friday Night challenge poster: the room is finding its character. What detail takes you straight back to an arcade?
https://t.co/ypQwgiq646

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is starting to look like the arcade night I had in mind.
The menu, cabinets, patterned carpet and air hockey table are coming together.
Still building towards the feel of pro air hockey in Unreal 5. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@3rdEchoSounds Here's the latest main menu for Mallet Mayhem '84! Getting the table, cabinets and carpet into the same room makes this feel much more like the arcade night I pictured. Still in development, with real air hockey physics guiding the work.
https://t.co/ypQwgiq646

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is starting to look like the arcade night I had in mind.
The menu, cabinets, patterned carpet and air hockey table are coming together.
Still building towards the feel of pro air hockey in Unreal 5. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@vibeyourgames An Australian solo-dev project for the showcase: Mallet Mayhem '84. The main menu and arcade room are coming together. Under the '80s nostalgia, I'm working towards the puck control and fast returns of pro air hockey in Unreal 5.
https://t.co/ypQwgiq646

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is starting to look like the arcade night I had in mind.
The menu, cabinets, patterned carpet and air hockey table are coming together.
Still building towards the feel of pro air hockey in Unreal 5. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@PokeIndie Started with a plain table to work on puck behaviour. Mallet Mayhem '84 now has an '80s arcade around it: cabinets, patterned carpet and a proper menu. Still working on real-table feel, but it's beginning to look like the game I pictured.
https://t.co/ypQwgiq646

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is starting to look like the arcade night I had in mind.
The menu, cabinets, patterned carpet and air hockey table are coming together.
Still building towards the feel of pro air hockey in Unreal 5. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

Mallet Mayhem '84 is starting to look like the arcade night I had in mind.
The menu, cabinets, patterned carpet and air hockey table are coming together.
Still building towards the feel of pro air hockey in Unreal 5. #indiegame #solodev

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@musicvsartstuff I'm building Mallet Mayhem '84, an '80s air hockey sim. Pro matches keep reminding me how much the puck's impacts contribute to the tension. As a game composer, how do you leave room for those sharp gameplay sounds without losing the music's energy?

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@NotLavistro Still at the development stage here: Mallet Mayhem '84, an '80s air hockey game from an Australian solo dev. I'm working on recreating real puck glide, rebounds and collisions in Unreal 5. What would catch your eye first: a tense rally or the arcade atmosphere?

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

@TheIndieManiac An air hockey game for anyone who stayed for 'one more match' at the arcade: Mallet Mayhem '84. I'm building it in Unreal 5, aiming for the depth of pro play. Here's the real-world match reference behind today's post.
https://t.co/rP8f2Bhemq

[Deft Menace Games @DeftMenaceGames]

2023 Worlds final: Weissman vs Cummings, their third straight final.
I'm working to replicate real puck glide, rebounds and collisions in Unreal 5 for Mallet Mayhem '84.
Pro air hockey reference: https://t.co/KehgtmImqK #indiegame #solodev