Mutatis

Mutatis is a game you can play in an Atari 2600 emulator. The provided game file is a .bin.

Thank you for playing MUTATIS! This is the first video game I’ve made since high school. The first version of MUTATIS was created in the span of a week for the April 2025 Atari “I, Rebel” Game Jam.  Though I didn’t reach every design goal, I had a lot of fun and learned some things, too. The Game Jam theme was A Perfect Beast. 

I will complete MUTATIS beyond the scope of the game jam. The current version is 1.1.1, which includes my first foray programming in Assembly! See this Devlog for more.

I welcome all bug comments below.

Thank you...! And take care...
peace,
-william

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MUTATiS GAMEPLAY

You’ve broken into a top-secret genetic research facility on a distant planet to free the latest biological horror MUTATIS.

Ambushed inside the containment chamber, you must now defend this nascent creature from its captors! Take heart! For you do not fight alone! MUTATIS has shared its psionically-charged power eye with you to aid in its noble liberation!

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The Eye of Mutatis // Mutatis // A Shield

Watch your health! If it turns red, Mutatis is near obliteration! Collect four biota from the Biota Bug to advance to the next level.

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ENEMY TYPES

Shield Grabber retreats when encountering The Eye of Mutatis. Might steal your shield nodes!

Shield Grabber with Shield Node can be destroyed by The Eye of Mutatis to repair your Shields.

Genetic Neutralizer steals your biota and implodes. Destroy with The Eye of Mutatis.Speedster attacks Mutatis. Destroy with your Shields.

Destroy Biota Bug with The Eye of Mutatis to release and collect biota.

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CONTAiNMENT CHAMBER

One day this foul menagerie may offer up its secrets... but for now, block the cruel aliens’ merciless attacks!

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USiNG THE CONTROLLER

Catch The Eye of Mutatis with your shields to gain its power. Launch The Eye of Mutatis at your enemies to defend Mutatis. But beware! The lateral direction of The Eye of Mutatis is too powerful to control once launched! The Eye of Mutatis!

• Press the FIRE BUTTON to launch The Eye when it is in contact with a shield

• Push the joystick LEFT while pressing the FIRE BUTTON to launch The Eye to the LEFT

• Push the joystick RIGHT while pressing the FIRE BUTTON to launch The Eye to the RIGHT

• Push the joystick UP to move The Eye UP after launch OR push the joystick UP to move the currently possessed shield UP

• Push the joystick DOWN to move The Eye DOWN after launch OR push the joystick DOWN to move the currently possessed shield DOWN

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THE FUTURE

Still to code:

• End screen facility escape

• Bonus speed level

• Game select options

• Difficulty select options

• Enemy types: eye catcher (grabs The Eye), poisoner (inverts controls), a type that drops health

• Mutatis mutations

• Playfield variation per level

• Sound