SpiceX

Overview

SpiceX is a recursive science-fiction action-adventure exploring corporate experimentation, identity, and escape. You play as Cheetus — iteration 734 of a larger project — breaking out of the SpiceX facility, a simulation-within-simulation where “spice” is extracted from subjects.

The game blends:

Third-person melee combat — sword combos, blocking, dashing
Spellcasting — elemental abilities with unique animations
Multiple traversal systems — running, swimming, sliding, climbing
VRM avatar integration — full-body character with spring bone physics
Procedural IK — dynamic foot placement and environment adaptation

Tech Stack

Godot 4.6 — Core engine (Forward+ renderer)
VRM4U — VRM avatar import and spring bone physics
Phantom Camera — Third-person camera system
Blender — Animation retargeting and character rigging
Mesh2Motion — Free animation library (retargeted to VRM skeleton)
GridMap — Modular level tile system
GDScript — All gameplay logic

Key Systems

Animation Pipeline

40+ retargeted animations from Mesh2Motion
Custom bone mapping in Blender NLA editor
Godot AnimationTree state machine (idle/walk/run/sprint/jump/attack/spell)
Root motion for natural movement
Blink and additive layers for life-like idles

Level Design Philosophy

Graybox first — layout validation before art
GridMap modular tiles — walls, doors, windows, platforms
Environmental storytelling — each level reveals facility lore
Juicy controls — responsive movement with screen shake, particles, SFX

Current Status

Phase 1 (Foundation) complete:

✅ Character controller with state machine
✅ Camera system (TP/FP dual mode)
✅ Animation library (40+ clips)
✅ Lobby level blockout

Phase 2 (Vertical Slice) in progress: