ExoClone

Introducing ExoClone

A Godot 4 Tribute to the ZX Spectrum Classic Exolon

If you have a soft spot for the golden age of 8-bit gaming, you might remember Exolon – the unforgiving, screen-by-screen tactical shooter released for the ZX Spectrum back in 1987. It was a masterclass in classic sci-fi atmosphere and brutal gameplay mechanics.

As a passionate project and an experiment in game development, I wanted to bring that exact feeling into the modern era. Meet ExoClone, a tactical 2D side-view shooter built entirely from scratch using the Godot 4 engine. You can watch the gameplay trailer on YouTube to see it in action.

Preserving the 8-Bit Vibe

To feel the game in its retro roots, I enforced some hardware constraints on myself during development:

• Resolution: The game renders at a crisp, authentic 256x192 pixels.
• Color Palette: Every visual element adheres to the original Sinclair ZX Spectrum color palette.

I handled all the coding and pixel art myself, trying to balance modern graphics capabilities with the spirit of the original sprites.

The Levels

Currently, ExoClone features three distinct experiences for players:

Trappist-1f

The Classic Remake: A 1:1 reconstruction of the first level from the original Exolon.

Kepler-16b

A Brand New World: A completely original level designed by me, featuring new tactical challenges while respecting the traditional core mechanics.

The Demo Chambers

A few experimental sandbox rooms where you can test out mechanics, weapons, and physics.

Sound and Music

While I handled the code and visuals, a retro game is nothing without its soundscape. I was fortunate to source incredible audio assets to bring the world to life:

• Music: The brilliant chiptune tracks were composed by KUVO, sourced via the fantastic retro community at ZXArt.
• Sound Effects: The sci-fi weapon blasts and mechanical explosions were curated from free audio libraries, including the Sonniss GDC Game Audio Archive and the Epic Stock Media Sci-Fi Shooter pack on Splice.

A GDScript Experiment
(And It’s Open Source!)

Let’s talk about the underlying tech. I built ExoClone primarily as a personal playground to learn and experiment with GDScript in Godot 4. Because of this, please do not look at this codebase as an example of clean architecture or efficient programming! It is absolutely full of strange design decisions, quirky workarounds, and experimental logic that I patched together while figuring out the engine.

That being said, ExoClone is an entirely open-source project. If you are a fellow developer curious to see how a screen-by-screen retro shooter functions in Godot 4 – or if you just want to laugh at my weird code – you are more than welcome to dig through it. If you want to modify the game, tweak the gravity, or add your own custom levels, please don't hesitate to make a fork! Check out the Source Code on GitLab.

Play It Now

The game is fully compiled and ready to play directly in your browser. Grab your rifle, manage your grenade supply, and see if you can survive the alien defense complexes. Play ExoClone Online.

Feedback and forks are always welcome. See you on the high-score screen!