LastPlace Games Blog

So... we did it again.

Neon Cascade is live on itch.io. Right now. You can go play it. Less than a month after shipping Tessara, we've somehow managed to build and release an entirely different game. We're honestly not sure if that makes us productive or insane. Probably both.

If Tessara was a hex-grid strategy game about commanding drones and capturing territory, Neon Cascade is... kind of the opposite of that? It's a physics-driven incremental idle game. Think Peggle crossed with an idle clicker, wrapped in a neon arcade aesthetic that we spent way too many late nights staring at. Balls auto-drop from slots at the top of a peg board, bounce through player-placed pegs, chain explosive combos, and land in collection bins at the bottom. Points become credits. Credits buy upgrades. Upgrades make the board bigger and meaner. The loop never stops, and watching a well-tuned board cascade through a dense peg cluster while the combo counter climbs is... genuinely hypnotic.

There's a lot in here. Twelve peg types, each with unique on-hit effects, Chain pegs that arc lightning to nearby targets, Splitter pegs that fan balls out, Gravity pegs that bend ball trajectories, a Cataclysm peg that detonates the entire board. Seven ball types with different physics behavior. Eight kinds of collection bins. A tension system called FLUX that rewards you for keeping the board on the edge of overloading. Cascade chain combos that build multipliers across consecutive hits. A prestige system called Go Nova with a full 20-node tech tree. Ten original synthwave BGM tracks with a built-in music player. And all of the sound effects are procedurally generated through the Web Audio API, no audio files, just oscillators and math.

The whole thing was built in about three weeks. TypeScript, Vite, Canvas 2D, no external game engine, no physics library. All the collision, bouncing, and ball trajectory is hand-rolled math. Which is either impressive or a cry for help, depending on your perspective. We wrote the full development story over on the Neon Cascade Development Log if you want all the messy details, from the first bouncing ball to the Go Nova cutscene. It's honest, sometimes chaotic, and covers every decision and late-night breakthrough along the way.

Two games shipped in 2026. Two completely different genres. We're not slowing down. We're not sure what's next yet, but we know it'll be something, the creative itch is stronger than ever and we've got a notebook full of ideas that won't leave us alone.

If you play Neon Cascade, we'd genuinely love to hear what you think. Leave a comment on itch.io, tell us what's broken, tell us what's fun. Head over to the game page for everything you need to know, or just go play it.

Thanks for being here. Seriously.

— The LastPlace Games Team

We've been quiet for a few weeks, and there's a good reason for that. We've been building something new.

Meet Tessara: Strategic Conquest. A tactical hex-grid strategy game with roguelite meta-progression, automated drone combat, and a "just one more run" loop that has been eating our evenings for the past two months. It started as a simple experiment in December, could we make colored tiles spreading across a hex grid feel satisfying? And, it turned into the most ambitious project we've ever taken on.

The concept is simple on the surface: your base produces drones, those drones capture territory, and you fight AI opponents for control of the map. But underneath that sits a deep progression system with 38 permanent upgrades, a multi-currency economy, faction specializations, prestige levels, and over 50 achievements to chase. What makes it tick is the roguelite loop, every match is a quick 5-10 minute run, and the Research Points you earn go into upgrades that permanently change how you play. Start with nothing but a single tile and a button. End with automated drone swarms, sentry towers, barricade walls, and an army that executes your chosen strategy without you lifting a finger.

Halfway through development, the project went through a major pivot. The original prototype was fun for about 20 minutes and then you were done, no reason to play again. Inspired by games like Vampire Survivors, we restructured the entire thing around a Hub → Run → Results → Upgrade loop, and suddenly it all clicked. The upgrade tree became the tutorial, the meta-progression became the hook, and "one more run" started turning into hours. That pivot was the single most important decision in the project's history.

We've been documenting the entire journey in the Tessara Development Log, weekly entries from the very first hex grid render through the roguelite pivot and all the way to the current polish phase. It's honest, sometimes messy, and covers every decision, mistake, and breakthrough along the way. If you're into game dev or just curious about how a project like this comes together, it's worth a read.

Tessara is feature-complete and currently in the final testing and polish phase. We're getting close to a public release. Keep an eye on the game page for launch updates.

We're genuinely proud of this one. It's the deepest, most polished game we've ever built, and we can't wait for people to get their hands on it.

— The LastPlace Games Team

Well... here we are again.

It's been a while since we've put real effort into this site, and honestly, it's been even longer since we've felt this excited about game development. But things change, inspiration strikes when you least expect it, and sometimes you just need to hit the reset button and start fresh.

So that's exactly what we did.

We've completely revamped the site from the ground up. New design, mobile-friendly navigation, individual game pages that actually do our projects justice, and—perhaps most importantly—a working contact form so you can actually reach us. (Shocking, I know.) We even optimized all our images because apparently that matters for loading times. Who knew?

But here's the thing: the site wasn't the problem. It never was. The problem was us stepping away from what we love doing—making games. Life gets in the way, priorities shift, and before you know it, your passion project becomes that thing you'll "get back to eventually." Well, eventually is now.

We've got Dodgy Rush still chugging along on mobile, Moon's Adventure and Milo Bullet Storm ready to play right in your browser, and a head full of ideas for what comes next. The creative itch is back, and this time we're not ignoring it.

So what does that mean for you? More games. More updates. More honest blog posts about the ups and downs of indie development. Maybe even some behind-the-scenes stuff if we can figure out how to make that interesting. (No promises.)

This isn't some grand comeback announcement with fireworks and a roadmap carved in stone. It's just us, getting back to doing what we love, one game at a time. And if you want to come along for the ride, we'd be happy to have you.

Thanks for sticking around. Or for just stumbling across this site for the first time. Either way, we're glad you're here.

Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some games to make.

— The LastPlace Games Team