After deleting X formerly known as Twitter, Zach Palumbo needed a better outlet for his “shitposting energy.” Instead of just downloading BlueSky, Palumbo finished creating his own video game, XORBIUS, available on Playdate.
“I’ve always liked outer space and started messing around with this concept about a little space ship flying around the screen. Something super, super basic.” Palumbo studied computer science and balances his day job as a software engineer with theater and music.
XORBIUS is available exclusively on Playdate, a relatively new handheld video game system. Credit: Zach Palumbo.
Beyond designing the game, Palumbo leveraged his musical abilities to score an original soundtrack. A few years ago, he came up with a theme called “Boss Battle,” but with no particular game in mind.
“I realized I could turn it into a jazzy space tune that would fit the atmosphere of the game,” he said.
Despite dabbling in video game development since middle school, Palumbo said XORBIUS is his first completed game. He credits the simplicity to a relatively new handheld gaming system called Playdate. Unlike other handheld systems, the Playdate features a side crank that turns 360 degrees.
“I figured the easiest thing to make would be a game where the crank turns you around and lets you aim,” he said. Both the system and the game are “intentionally minimalist” and “technologically constrained,” making it easier to focus on one concept.
Part of the fun included writing more than 150 “tips and quotes” included throughout the game. For example, it’s likely to see statements such as “British children’s author J.K. Rowling has sued XORBIUS for libelous claims” or ”XORBIUS is now legal in 47 states and Puerto Rico!” at the bottom of the screen.
“This was a better outlet for my shitposting energy,” he said.
Right now, XORBIUS is only available on Playdate, but Palumbo said future iterations are possible. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer and hear some of the music. Separately, Palumbo is also performing in a new production of Elephant’s Graveyard through Feb. 22, if you’re looking for some live theater.