Waxx and Wayne

Waxx and Wayne is a 3D platformer/horror game developed by Laughball Interactive for The V². Players control Waxx, a massive living candle with powerful magic, and Wayne, a swordsman with a collection of cursed tools at his disposal, trying to explore a world that's been shrouded in a terrible fog. The duo must use what limited materials they have to hold off and eventually defeat the strange beasts roaming the lands. Waxx and Wayne was developed as part of the 
2017 Concept Swap Day project.
==Gameplay==
Waxx and Wayne is an open-ended 3D platformer, with players controlling the titular two characters through levels shrouded in darkness, trying to forge a path of light and fight monsters. Control of the characters can be switched by hitting the Select button, and clicking the right thumbstick toggles whether your partner will follow or not; flicking the stick back while holding it down serves as a quick undo in case of accidents. Both characters have a variety of different abilities, but share their basic skills such as jumping with the button, locking on to enemies with the left trigger, attacking with the right trigger, and harvesting resources with the button.
Waxx is a large quadrupedal creature, made of wax with a flame burning on its back; its movement is heavy and clumsy, and its attacks hit hard. Players must keep an eye on Waxx's temperature meter, which raises in combat or when using special skills. By pressing , Waxx can let out a flaming howl, which keeps enemies at bay and lights up a large area at the cost of heating itself up vastly. Waxx can also convert raw materials into new scents for its candle-like body by holding the button; these scents apply unique effects to Waxx, and may repulse or attract certain types of monsters.
Wayne is an imposing swordsman who moves quickly and fights furiously with his rapier. In place of Waxx's temperature meter, Wayne has a magic meter, representing the various cursed objects he's collected over his travels; players must lower the meter by using these objects. Hitting the button causes Wayne to put on his Milk Quartz Ring, which drains his health while adding random magical effects to his attacks. Holding down the button lets him mix up healing potions in his Skull Flask, with each raw material adding to its potency.
==Story==
===Prologue===
The story begins with Wayne on his ship, sailing back home to Boveria with a vast collection of arcane objects from his adventures. As he reads over a letter from the queen detailing her husband's recent illness, a storm quickly stirs up and overtakes the ship, with Wayne unable to sail in the thick darkness. He grabs a few of his belongings and attempts to begin swimming away, only to dive directly into the shadows.
Wayne wakes up, dazed and confused with something standing over him. As he regains his senses, he reaches for his sword; standing before him is some kind of wax homunculus. As he slowly approaches it, the creature backs down, and Wayne realizes its flame is rapidly repelling the fog. He sheathes his blade and offers the creature a rose from the ground, walking off only to find it following him.
===Chapter 1: What Lurks In Dreadful Keep===
As Wayne explores the courtyard of Dreadful Keep, he finds a shred of paper on the ground; a piece of his letter from the queen. Waxx accidentally burns the paper, angering Wayne, but it mysteriously "regenerates", revealing a new message leading them further inside. Still unsure of what's going on, Wayne and Waxx follow the advice through Dreadful Keep, fighting off the mysterious imps that have occupied the area.
As the duo explores the castle's wine cellar, a mysterious tremor causes a thick toxic ichor to spill from the wine barrels, the messages getting more urgent and fluttering ahead on the wind. Wayne's cursed items seem to react too, but the mysterious activity stops as they reach the broken remains of the throne room. The paper lands in Waxx's flame and regenerates faster and faster into a roughly humanoid form before introducing herself as the queen of Boveria.
The queen explains that the darkness had swallowed up countless neighboring kingdoms already and that the king's illness got worse with each push, until it became severe enough for her to send out a call for any adventurer who could investigate. The king was last seen upon his throne, and now something has taken it and seemingly him. Waxx moves ahead and Wayne follows, keeping a shred of paper with him in his cursed flask.
At the top of the keep's tower, a massive flying beast attempts to attack Wayne, although Waxx's fire seems to drive it away. Working together, the two manage to drive the beast away, seeing it drop the throne into the darkness as it falls from the sky. Wayne consults with the queen, who suggests the two head south to retrieve an artifact that might help them. As they depart from the castle into the wilderness, more of the toxic ichor floods the courtyard, overtaking the rose garden.
===Chapter 2: The Winding Path of Alpine Road===
As they head south to reclaim the queen's relic, Waxx and Wayne make a rest stop at Basilisk Heights, an abandoned town in the mountains that was mainly founded to store all the snake oil the local miners produced. However, before they can set up camp, mysterious ghosts attack Waxx and try to put out its flame. The queen identifies the creatures as Shroudsmen and orders the duo to get running.
As the two escape into the empty remains of the mine, Waxx is trapped in a steel cage by Imps, with Wayne moving forward to free them. The queen uses the circumstances to have a private conversation with Wayne, expressing distrust in Waxx and proposing they may be just as much a part of the problem as the monsters. Wayne reluctantly ends the conversation and the duo move ahead.
Outside of the mines, Waxx and Wayne encounter yet another beast and chase after it, cornering it near the town's huge reservoir of snake oil. While Wayne works to slip the beast up, Waxx seems to have a rather personal duel with the monster, which only worsens the queen's worries. After the Dunebug is defeated, the queen directs the duo to the giant tower in the desert ahead; a mysterious establishment she refers to as Battleheights.
===Chapter 3: Bloodlines and Battleheights===
With Waxx and Wayne making steady progress through the desert, the queen elaborates more on the object they're hunting for; it's a Royal Amulet, tied to her husband's bloodline and capable of finding him. Battleheights was built using heavily modified training equipment, by disgruntled knights seeking further glory after her husband ended a recent war - the Amulet went missing soon after the spire was completed, not too long before the shadows appeared.
In Battleheights, Waxx and Wayne find themselves competing against the architecture, the Imps having seemingly organized themselves enough to operate the tower. The queen views this as a risk, but not enough to stop pushing for the Amulet. Wayne attempts to let Waxx stay behind while he finishes the job, but Waxx insistently follows.
At the top of the tower, the two realize they've been followed by another monster; a mysterious cat-like beast, prowling around Battleheights and waiting for them. Waxx once again leaps into action, while Wayne fends off a swarm of enemies, spotting the Royal Amulet as the centerpiece of the spotlight Waxx is powering.
Before Wayne can stop Waxx, the tower sinks into the shifting sands it was built upon, the queen berating Waxx as it hands over a heavily damaged Amulet. She instructs Wayne to use it anyways and he reluctantly agrees, but only after seeing Waxx regretfully back away. In a flash of red lightning, the three are teleported away, leaving only the Amulet and the Showstopper's flower where Battleheights once stood.
==Worlds==
There are six worlds in Waxx and Wayne; each one is one large space, divided up into segments but not fully separate. 
===World 1: Dreadful Keep===
Dreadful Keep 	Dreadful Keep
The Courtyard 	
"This place has been overrun. Such a shame. Work together to get inside, and work fast."
The Courtyard is a large open space, easy to explore without worrying too much about the darkness. A few Imps are prowling around, but they're easy enough to fight. A trip through an overgrown rose garden acts as a crash course on materials and their uses, while the wild waters of the moat force players to split up, with Wayne making his way to the drawbridge while Waxx lights up torches from afar.
Central Hall 	
"Oh no, the Imps tore up all the party favors! Clear them out for us, if you don't mind."
The central hall of Dreadful Keep is a fairly spacious area, with a few high paths going over the main area. Lantern Imps patrol from above, dropping large crowds of enemies in through the ceiling if they spot you, so be careful. The path forward into the royal chambers is sealed with a cursed lock, forcing Waxx and Wayne to take a detour into the castle's wine cellars.
The Wine Cellars 	
"Eugh, what have they been fermenting down here? Be careful, this place wasn't built for combat..."
The wine cellars connect much of Dreadful Keep together; they stretch from the central hall towards the royal chambers, and even to a hidden garden in the courtyard if you backtrack. Waxx and Wayne have to dodge their way through rolling barrels and rivers of poisonous ichor, with a puzzle at the end where Wayne must drop roses into the right pool of oil for Waxx to burn, destroying the lock on the royal chambers.
Royal Chamber Ruins	
"Where did everything go...? If the only way to move is up, you two better get going."
Beyond the door to the royal chambers is a pile of rubble, two Work-of-Arts standing guard, and a hole in the wall where a throne once stood. Stepping outside reveals a treacherous climb up floating platforms assembled from the ruins, with a mysterious creature whipping up winds that shake the platforms and put out any fires Waxx has lit. Players must move fast, taking risky jumps and using fires wisely.
Peak of the Keep 	
"That creature's going to tear the whole place apart! Be careful not to fall off, but don't just let that thing fly around!"
Once the player has reached the tower at the center of Dreadful Keep, the Nightterror will reveal itself, circling the tower as Waxx and Wayne scale their way to the top, weaving in and out of the spire. At the peak, the Nightterror begins attacking. Wayne must move quickly to draw the beast closer, while Waxx lights various gargoyles that damage the Nightterror as it closes in.
===World 2: Alpine Road===
Alpine Road 	Alpine Road
Ghost Town 	
"W-what happened here? Get out of this town, there's something wrong about this place."
This abandoned town at the start of the mountainous trail is eerily quiet, with only four buildings lining the gravel road. Four Shroudsmen emerge once Waxx and Wayne try to cross the gate; fight off the chilling spectres to move ahead. An optional platforming puzzle opens up once the Shroudsmen are defeated, with Waxx pulling a wagon into place so Wayne can reach some Snake Oil on the rooftops.
Roughrider's Road 	
"Maybe it's not that rough a ride... as long as you avoid those Imps. Nothing you two can't handle."
On the path out of town, Waxx and Wayne have a few options; moving along the low path, picking mint and taking cover from enemies, works fine, but for bolder players, a wagon Waxx can pull is sitting on the higher path, which is full of Imp Cavaliers. No matter how you weave through the terrain, the ride comes to a stop at a massive stone wall that can be taken down by melting key stones with Waxx's flames.
Cast-Iron Tunnels 	
"Oh, poor Waxx! It looks sad in that cage... you better help them out of here!"
Early in this dimly lit mine, Waxx is caught in an Imp trap, hanging from the ceiling in a cage. This segment splits the duo up, with Waxx fighting Imps off while Wayne moves ahead, detonating dynamite to let Waxx's cage follow through the tight corridors. Towards the end of the narrow cave, Wayne must hitch a ride on Waxx's cage before it busts out the other side of the abandoned mine.
Rolling Hills 	
"What kind of monster is haunting these hills? Keep an eye on it before it escapes! "
Outside of the mines, Waxx and Wayne spot a monster rolling along the dusty hills and pursue. The whole level is a downhill path with a variety of routes; running straight down and fighting as you go is certainly an option, but wagons may get the job done faster, or the natural rocky bridges may offer less enemies. If you keep up with the rolling beast and trigger dynamite as it passes by, you may get an advantage in the fight against it.
Basilisk Reservoir	
"What is it with this town and snake oil...? Maybe you can use it to slip this beast up?"
At the bottom of the hills, Waxx and Wayne are face-to-face with the Dunebug (which is injured if the dynamite hit it in the last level) in a large bowl-like clearing. The Dunebug will roll around attacking the two, requiring Wayne to spill the nearby snake oil reserves, causing the boss to slip up. Once it's defeated, the duo must make a quick escape from a flood of snake oil pouring in.
===World 3: Battleheights===
Battleheights 	Battleheights
Bloody Big Top 	
"Ignore the dramatic name, whoever runs this place tends to go a little overboard... just get yourself in there and start moving up."
At the base of the massive Battleheights tower is a small circus of sorts, with Shroudsmen camouflaging themselves as parts of the tents. Waxx and Wayne must fight their way to the center, either working together on foot or splitting up to take unique paths; Wayne can run along tightropes above the circus, while Waxx can jump through rings of fire unharmed to find shortcuts.
Clambercrusher 	
"Be careful... but move fast. But don't slip up. But seriously, move fast."
The first challenge of Battleheights is a long vertical climb, with only a few stopping points along the way. At first glance, it's a simple journey up some metal walls, but watch out; every 15 seconds or so, the walls slam together like a bear trap, dealing massive damage and most likely sending Waxx and Wayne back down. There are a few torches along the walls that'll delay the crushing if Waxx can light them, but you'll have to work quickly.
Monster Mixer 	
"This isn't just some regular arena. It looks like you can tilt it around if you get a crowd following you. "
The second challenge of Battleheights is a circular arena with four nozzles on the walls that release snake oil when hit. Waves of Imps, Shroudsmen, and Bloodhounds will drop in, and the whole arena will tilt if there's a large amount of enemies on one side. Waxx can use the snake oil's repelling scent to wrangle enemies towards Wayne, but the sizzling surface of the arena makes it dangerous to use too much, lest Waxx lose control of their temperature.
Showtime Slaughter	
"It looks like you've been made the main act in this circus. Get everything set up for your final trick!"
At the top of Battleheights, Waxx and Wayne find themselves on a huge platform with an aperture in the center and a control panel hanging off the side. Wayne must fight off Bloodhounds and Work-of-Arts while Waxx generates steam for the control panel using barrels of water that appear with each enemy defeated. Once the crowd has been cleared and the control panel has been charged, Wayne must make a hasty escape as the platform lifts and opens into a giant ring, which a giant monster jumps through.
Stage Fright Panic	
"Keep all eyes on that monster, you two! Just don't forget the tower is sinking..."
With the Showstopper on the loose, the ring at the top of Battleheights converts into a spotlight that focuses Waxx's flame. Waxx must concentrate light of the Showstopper to drive it towards sinkholes, while Wayne protects Waxx from incoming Shroudsmen. The battle is on a timer as Battleheights sinks into quicksand, starting at 2 minutes with an extra 10 seconds for each hit on the Showstopper.
==Enemies==
===Basic===
Enemies 	Enemies
Imp 	
"Nasty boys. Wherever they find a dark nook and cranny, they make a home. They shouldn't be too much trouble."
Imps are the most basic enemy in the game, beatable in a few hits and not too dangerous to approach. They often show up in crowds and will bounce off of each other when killed. It's like bowling!
Lantern Imp 	
"Oh, how precious! Their headlamps are too big for them! Go easy on them if you can..."
Lantern Imps wear massive lanterns over their heads, and temporarily create a path of light in their line of sight. If they spot you, they'll bring reinforcements, so move around them or whack the lantern right off of them.
Imp Cavalier	
"These little fiends learned to ride animals... do you think the poor critters are okay? Or maybe they're a part of the imp now..."
Imp Cavaliers ride atop vague, shadowy steeds, trying to keep up if you run and encircling you if you stay still. Despite their new skills, they're still easy enough to defeat.
Work-of-Art 	
"Hm, I'm not quite sure about this modern art display. Find the flaws in their marble and carve them up. "
Work-of-Arts are walking statues with unmoving faces, usually carrying a sword or whatever similar object they can find. Strafe around their attacks until they revert to posing still, then hit hard while you have the opportunity.
Shroudsmen 	
"These raggedy spectres don't seem to be as afraid of Waxx as the rest of these beasts. Swat them away before they start piling up! "
Shroudsmen are living cloaks with various patches of color, orbiting Waxx and Wayne ominously and making a ticking noise. When the ticking noise stops, they dash in, creating an eerie gust that blows out Waxx's flame for a moment, stunning them. They move fast, but go down in one hit when caught.
Bloodhound 	
"These things must have really strong noses if they can resist Waxx... or maybe that means their noses are weak? Who knows?"
Bloodhounds are lean shadowy creatures with legs that end in long spikes rather than actual feet. They deal heavy damage and most notably, they can resist any repelling scents until they've been hit. Send Wayne to deal with these before they dogpile Waxx.
===Bosses===
Bosses	Bosses
The Nightterror
Beast of Dreadful Keep	
"It's like some kind of terrible backwards bat... whatever it is, it's stolen the throne and it wants you dead. Good thing it isn't fond of fire."
The Nightterror is a massive monster with stubby clawed arms, legs that act as wings, and a single eye surrounded by leech-like rows of teeth. It remains fairly passive, but follows Wayne closely until it sees an opportunity to dive in and attack, dealing heavy damage. Waxx's fire seems to scare it off, and lighting the gargoyle lanterns surrounding the tower will hurt it and cause it to retreat, especially when imbued with rose essence. Once it's been hurt enough, the Nightterror plummets to the ground, but not before trying to pull Wayne down with it.
The Dunebug
Beast of Alpine Road	
"This thing's nothing but trouble. You'll need some way to stop it from rolling around so fast... or something that can make it too fast...? "
The Dunebug is a bulky monster, resembling some kind of bear with a spherical shell like a pillbug or armadillo. It'll use the terrain around it to roll freely, building up speed and slamming into the duo; Wayne must climb his way up to release snake oil into the arena, causing the Dunebug to slip and slide out of control. Waxx can attack while it's disoriented or even light the area on fire at the risk of hurting Wayne.
The Showstopper
Beast of Battleheights	
"I can barely even tell what I'm looking at here! Doesn't help that it hates being in the light... stay put, kitty!"
The Showstopper is a cat-like creature with rigid limbs and prickly thorns like a cactus. It is comprised of some kind of inky black material, except for the vividly colored flower forming its face. The Showstopper will circle around the descending Battleheights tower and only deals damage by slamming into it; it never gets into direct attacking range. To vanquish this beast, Waxx must use its fear of light to push it toward sinkholes, slowly melting its body until only the flower remains.
==Materials==
Materials	Materials
Rose 	
"Oh, thank you for tending to the gardens, dear. Keep that rose with you, you never know what it'll be handy for."
Roses can be found primarily in the gardens of Dreadful Keep, although they can often be found off the beaten path in the wilderness. Their floral scent drives away any and all Imps and keeps Waxx temperature-regulated. They're not the best for potion-making, but they're plentiful enough to make a good stockpile.
Snake Oil	
"You... do know this is a trick, right? Guess it must be good for something if someone learned how to make it."
Barrels of snake oil are common in the badlands south of royal territory, ripe and ready to be sold by con-men across Boveria. It produces a venomous smell that repels large crowds of enemies but makes Waxx burn hotter, requiring better temperature control. Oddly enough, it does work for healing potions, but heals incredibly slowly.
Mint 	
"Mmm, delicious and refreshing! Makes for a nice treat after monster hunting. "
Patches of mint grow in the colder regions of Boveria, and it's easy to find in gardens across the land. The refreshing scent repels Shroudsmen but attracts Imps to Waxx while also providing quickened regeneration; similar effects apply to Wayne's mint potions, which heal very little, but very quickly.
==Trivia==
*Wayne's Milk Quartz Ring is a reference to Yggdrasil, which featured the material as a substitute for actual milk.