Important note

It is recommended to play using the downloadable version!


🔍 Objective

Your goal is to find all the hidden objects and reach the exit of the maze!

Like the game?

If you’re enjoying it, consider leaving a rating to support development!


🎮 Controls

  • 🕹️ Move: Arrows or WASD
  • 🖱️ Interact/Pick up: C
  • 🔧 Use Tool: V
  • ⏸️ Pause: Escape


⚠️ Notes

The game is under active development 🛠️. This might impact the save system. If you encounter a bug, press Escape and click “Reset” to restart.

For a better experience, it is recommended to use the downloadable version.


🚀 Latest Updates

2025-03-06

  • New Digging System 🏗️: The old block-based system has been replaced with fully destructible terrain!
  • New Upgrades 🔧:
    • Auto-Collect: No more running around for loot—items now come to you!
    • Hit Radius: Widen your impact and break more terrain with each hit.
  • Upgrade Expansion 📈: More levels added for existing upgrades—push your power even further!

2025-03-04

  • Added a message to the door
  • Remove objects from the wall
  • Fixed missing hidden objects
  • Build for windows (to prevent WebGL limitations). Let me know in comments if you need other platforms.

2025-03-01

  • ✅ Reduced difficulty for smoother progression
  • 🔧 Added automatic tool upgrades
  • ↘️ You can now hit diagonally
  • 🔙 New “Back” button in the in-game computer
  • ⏸️ Pause menu now includes a reset option
  • 🏆 New end-game goal: Find all hidden objects and exit the maze!
StatusIn development
PlatformsHTML5, Windows
Rating
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
(2 total ratings)
AuthorTheMarelle
GenreSimulation
Made withUnity
TagsIdle, Incremental, Indie, Pixel Art, Retro
Average sessionAbout a half-hour
LanguagesEnglish
InputsKeyboard, Mouse

Download

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It starts with a stick and a wall Win64.zip 38 MB

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Development log

Comments

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(+1)

Well this is certainly a lot faster than the old version with blocks that I originally played! The walls no longer having "health" makes a world of a difference in making progression less painful and the upgrades also seem to be more efficient now (or maybe that's just the fast progression in general). I was able to turn my guy into a jackhammer pretty quickly.

That said, I had all upgrades except inventory maxed out in this version before I even found the second object, so maybe it's a bit too fast now, which also makes the diamonds pointless after the first few minutes. Maybe if there was something else to work towards?

(+1)

Thank you for giving another try to the game. The progression is definitely too fast now. Still I don't want to slow down the player just for the sake of it. I will try to add more upgrades so that the game is interesting for longer.

(-1)

I managed to crash the game, I guess it's because I had max reload speed and move speed and collisions and stuff so yeah.

Woopsie :) May I ask what happened ? Did you get stuck in a wall ?

Hey, I just had the crash too.
maxed out movement speed + hit speed. Ran into a wall and then experienced a lag spike, then it just froze completely.

Crashed again, I got the error message

Invoking error handler due to

abort("OOM") at Error

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    at callUserCallback (https://html-classic.itch.zone/html/13025475/It%20starts%20with%20a%20stick%20and%20a%20wall/Build/It%20starts%20with%20a%20stick%20and%20a%20wall.framework.js.br:9:96675)

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    at Browser_mainLoop_runner (https://html-classic.itch.zone/html/13025475/It%20starts%20with%20a%20stick%20and%20a%20wall/Build/It%20starts%20with%20a%20stick%20and%20a%20wall.framework.js.br:9:113839)

thank you very much for the details. It is due to the webgl limitations. I will upload a downloadable version to prevent this. 

I got it too, max reload & move speed, but just wandering around near the entrance & not attacking.


Thanks for the feedback. It was due to the autosave on the WebGL version. It should be fixed now. However, I had to disable saving in web version. It is only available in the downloadable version now.

(+2)

Found all 4 hidden objects and then the exit. Nice and quite engaging game.

Am finding it a bit too easy now, managed to clear out all the reachable blocks on my lunch break (instead of in a couple of hours). I miss the old hard blocks, made me feel like I was making progress.

The gems are a bit too plentiful now. I managed to get most upgrades before progressing on the right path. Though I do like how the gems start getting in the way as I tried to get to the exit & my inventory was full, a nice roadblock to force a break & return to the computer.

I didn't find the hidden objects. I see the left and center paths are blocked off & wonder if they're in there & there's some trigger I missed.

(+1)

thanks for your feedback. I will reintroduce the old hard blocks but at strategic location for the story. 
there was a bug about the hidden objects. They are back now. The blocked paths are empty for now. 

(3 edits)

you should add the text to the door like the door is locked and you should look around. also the gems are spawning in the walls and I cant collect. 

I fixed the spawning of the gems. Thanks. 

And I have added a small text on the door. 

(+1)

Using the tool in the diagonal down (left, right) direction should strike blocks.

The computer needs a Back/Return button.

Moving into a block should keep your speed the same, seems to slow down a lot.

Needs an end-game goal, more than 'mine all the blocks'.

Pretty good! Mindless, meditative, reminds me of Dysmantle

(+1)

Awesome suggestions, thank you. I have added all of them to my to do list.

There is just one thing I don't get. What do you mean by "Moving into a block" ? 

I am preparing the story about this guy. Currently, there is a placeholder "exit" sign in the maze.

I'd love to make something even 1% as cool and nice than Dysmantle.

(4 edits)

'Moving into a block' was a bit vague. What I mean is: moving diagonally and colliding with a wall/block slows your movement speed, and it would be nice if the player would slide along the wall at about the same speed as if they were walking parallel.

Seems like the player sprite is still trying to move diagonal into the wall, and being pushed back out by the collision.

(+1)

Ok, thank you for the details, I see what you mean. I will work on this.

In the mean time, I have added the possibility to use the tool in diagonal, a back button in the computer and an end-game goal.

(-1)

Cool game! But I agree with the others; the balancing needs work! It doesn't feel fun to suddenly stop getting loot in the purple zones (only found a few gems myself)

At this point the purple is also further away from the shop and takes more time to break, so it's already a lot slower without reducing spawn rate as well.

(+1)

Thanks for the feedback. This was a bad game design decision. I have fixed this and it should be better now.

(-1)

Purple has nothing, game is unplayable at that point

thank you for your feedback. What do you mean by “purple has nothing” ?

(+2)

I did find a green diamond under the purple blocks, but only one, after breaking a pretty large number of them.  There really doesn't seem to be much under them, which does kind of slow the game down considerably.

Actually, in this first version, there were multiple paths at the beginning (left, top, right). Left and top did not have much diamonds. The idea was to push the player to go to the right but it was definitely a bad game design decision. I blocked the wrong path and increased significantly the amount of diamonds on the purple area. Thanks for taking the time to give more details.