Spring Stack

Tap left or right to direct your character. Springs auto-launch on contact. Read spring colour and shape to anticipate bounce height. Last as long as possible before missing a spring.

Spring Stack is a vertical platformer where you bounce upward on procedurally arranged springboards. The format is reminiscent of those iPhone-era Doodle Jump games but with hand-designed sections rather than pure procedural generation.

What works is the variable-bounce mechanic. Different springs throw you at different heights. Some are colour-coded (red for high, blue for low); others are unmarked and require visual inspection. The reading-the-spring layer adds depth beyond just timing the jumps.

Hand-designed sections alternate with procedurally arranged sections. The hand-designed sections introduce new mechanics including moving platforms and breakable springs, with occasional wind effects in later sections. The procedural sections test mastery of those mechanics. The blend works because the hand-designed parts give context to the procedural ones.

Tested over five Cross-City Line train commute sessions. The vertical-scroll format suits a phone screen because the portrait orientation matches the upward direction of play. Touch input is the natural fit. Keyboard arrow keys plus space works on desktop too.

Where the format starts to thin is the absence of meaningful end-game. The endless mode is the default mode. There is no campaign with a defined finish line. Players who want completion will be unsatisfied; players who want a casual repeated session are well-served.

Where I would push back is the lack of any progression layer beyond high-score chasing. Cosmetic-only unlocks would have given casual players something to work toward without compromising the high-score-focused core loop.

Three-and-a-half stars. Solid vertical platformer with thoughtful spring mechanic and good hand-versus-procedural blend. Worth playing for the format; the endless-only structure may not suit completion-focused players.