NightArcade — disruptive demos, immediate play
NightArcade fuses arcade grit with modern design: a curated stage for indie teams to launch bite-sized experiments, luminous demos, and toolkit plugins. Dive into pulse-driven levels, rapid feedback loops, and community challenges that turn ideas into playable stories in minutes. Join a living lab of players and creators.
Rapid Prototypes
Ship small experiments in hours. Toggle mechanics, swap assets, and run guided playtests without heavy setup. The workflow keeps iteration short and decisions visible.
Modular Toolkits
Assets, controllers, HUD modules and audio kits that snap in. Mix and match to prototype distinct tones: arcade, noir, vaporwave, or brutalist puzzle sets.
Live Feedback
Players leave fast reactions, annotated clips, and heat snapshots. Developers triage comments, iterate, and ship updates that players can re-run instantly.
Gallery — quickplays & snapshots
Bite-sized platform
A short run that teaches a single mechanic in under two minutes. Replayable, score-driven, forgiving.
Curation Picks
Editors choose notable short experiments. Each pick includes dev notes, control tips, and suggested variants for remixes.
Ready to launch a demo?
Upload a prototype, invite three players, and watch iterations land within a day. We handle builds, sessions, and annotated clips.
Voices from the floor
"We cut a two-week sprint into two nights. Players loved the twist mechanic and suggested a level variant that became our best route."
— Mara I., designer
"Toolkits got our prototype playable on phones the same night. Feedback loops were tight and kind."
Guiding pillars
Players shape outcomes; devs ship variants fast.
Metrics map to moments, not just totals.
Mechanics are discoverable and forgiving.
How it works
1. Upload or sketch
Drop a build or wire a scene with our toolkit. Choose controls, HUD, and sound profile.
2. Invite players
Create a three-player rapid test, collect clips, and tag reactions for quick parsing.
3. Iterate fast
Merge feedback into a new build, rerun the session, and compare heat snapshots to see what changed.
FAQ
Is NightArcade free?
There is a generous free tier for short demos and public playtests. Paid plans unlock private groups, larger sessions, and storage.
What platforms?
Web builds, lightweight native clips, and mobile playtests. Toolkits export small bundles for rapid testing.