Planned Release Date: March 2026

About This Game

Game overview

Panic of the Apes is a fast-paced, 1–4 player party game where you compete to collect the most bananas before a volcano erupts. Grab bananas, knock out rivals to steal theirs, use power-ups from chests, and dodge volcanic hazards. First player to win three rounds becomes King Chimp.

Gameplay

• Best-of-three rounds: Each round lasts 2–3 minutes (configurable).

• Banana collection: Shake banana trees, grab dropped bananas, or steal from downed opponents.

• Combat: Throw bananas to knock others out, use melee to deflect projectiles, or dodge roll for brief invincibility and deflection.

• Power-ups: Chests contain shields, keys for locked chests, or bananas. Locked chests contain more powerful items and effects.

• Environment: Lavaballs start falling late in the round; run to the safe zone to avoid them but watch out for other players doing the same. Most bananas when time hits zero wins the round.

Modes

• Local multiplayer: 2–4 players split-screen on one TV.

• Online multiplayer: Host or join matches over the network.

• CPU opponents: Add AI players for 1–4 player matches.

Features

• Customizable controls: Full keyboard and gamepad remapping.

• Level Builder: Create and share custom maps. (Under Construction during Early Access) 

• Steam Workshop: Download and play community-created levels. (Under Construction during Early Access) 

• Steam Input: Controller support via Steam Input API.

• Multiple maps: Varied layouts and arenas with customizable gameplay options.

• Original soundtrack: Map-specific music created for use here by Daedalus Blueprints.

• Isometric Pixel-style art: Character sprites, environments, and particle effects.

Playtime & replayability

Rounds last 2-3 minutes and complete matches usually last 10–15 minutes. Replay value comes from varied power-ups, multiple maps with customizable gameplay settings, and Workshop levels.

What makes it unique

Chaotic couch PvP with simple rules, fast rounds, environmental hazards, and local + online play all in one highly affordable package.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

AI generative models were used to create localization files to support languages that would otherwise be difficult for a solo developer. Placeholder AI-generated assets have been created for the Steam store splash images, with the intent of commissioning an artist if this gains community support. All in-game assets (sprites, music, sound effects, UI elements, and interactive content) were created by humans and are credited in the game credits. CPU opponents use traditional game AI algorithms, not generative AI models.

This is the third iteration of development, that was originally developed in 2019 with HTML + JS, then rebuilt in Unity, and then transferred to LOVE2D written in Lua. It was more-or-less built with a box of scraps in a cave in its first iterations, and modern software since those days have effectively blurred the line where task automation meets unethical AI consumption.

It's up to each of us to determine where that line is for ourselves in a rapidly changing digital age. As both a solo game dev and multimedia artist carrying a full-time job in neither of those fields, I feel that it's important to be educating ourselves on where AI can be a useful tool to allow new opportunities and expand capabilities for independent creators that are otherwise untenable, while keeping the human side of game dev at its core, especially in the indie genre.