PIXEL POOPS ONLINE MANUAL
Version history
1.0 (2021/2/10)
- Initial release.
Menu controls (cannot be changed)
Keyboard
(These can be used even if you're using a controller to play the game.)
- Up/Down arrow keys = change highlighted option.
- Left/Right arrow keys = adjust highlighted option (if applicable).
- ENTER = choose highlighted option.
- ESC = go to previous menu/exit menu.
Controller
(These assume an Xbox One/360 layout, but work regardless of which controller you're using.)
- Up/Down on D-Pad/Left Stick = change highlighted option.
- Left/Right on D-Pad/Left Stick = adjust highlighted option (if applicable).
- A Button, or Menu/Start = choose highlighted option.
- B Button = go to previous menu/exit menu.
What is Pixel Poops?
Pixel Poops is a unique button-mashing action game inspired by second-generation console games of the early 1980s. The objective is to stop joggers from crossing the park by...trapping them in poop! The original Web-based version remains available for free at http://yyrgames.com/?q=playpp and is very no-frills. This version adds an easier difficulty (referred to as Normal), and an all-new Time Attack mode, as well as Steam Leaderboards, Achievements, and cleaner, re-recorded sound effects. The spot next to the taco restaurant is now also distinctly visible in-game. If you choose to purchase the "Unlock All Modes" DLC, you will also receive three all-new game rulesets ("games"), described in more detail below. Have fun!
Explanation of base game/DLC
The base game is free to play and includes the standard game (Game 1).
There are no limits or restrictions on how much it can be played. All game features, such as Hard difficulty and Time Attack mode, are also accessible, as well as four Steam Leaderboards and several Achievements.
Three alternate rulesets (Games 2-4) are available by purchasing the "Unlock All Modes" DLC. By purchasing this DLC you will also enable access to 12 additional Steam Leaderboards, as well as all Achievements (some Achievements are not obtainable without purchasing the DLC).
If you attempt to play Games 2, 3, or 4 without purchasing the DLC, you will be able to try them out for 1 minute. This should be long enough to see the gameplay differences, and decide whether you are interested in purchasing the DLC. After the time is up you can either buy the DLC to continue play, or return to the menu.
Other available DLC include:
- the set of sound effects, which you can use royalty-free for your own purposes after purchase,
- Pixel Poops 64, which is a port of the game to Commodore 64 with some changes, and
- Pixel Poops Number Two, which is a full-on sequel developed for NES with a bunch of content!
I hope that you will consider purchasing these, but even if you don't spend any money on it at all, I hope you enjoy playing Pixel Poops!
Explanation of modes/difficulties
NORMAL difficulty is the default.
HARD difficulty ramps up more quickly, and has a higher maximum speed.
If TIME ATTACK mode is OFF, the normal rules apply. Your goal is to score as many points as possible before running out of "misses."
If TIME ATTACK mode is ON, your goal is to score 200 points as quickly as possible, and you have unlimited "misses."
Starting the game
There is a menu that contains all options and functions, but it is not necessary to go there if you merely want to start the game.
To begin a new game on keyboard, press the poop key (SPACE or P by default). To begin a new game on a connected gamepad, press the South face button (A on Xbox, X on PS, B on Switch Pro, etc.).
To switch games (see "Explanation of game rules" below):
- Keyboard: press the Tab key.
- Gamepad: press the VIEW/BACK/SHARE/- button.
To switch difficulty, or turn Time Attack mode on or off:
- Keyboard: while holding the Tab key, then press A to change difficulty or B to toggle Time Attack mode on or off.
- Gamepad: hold the VIEW/BACK/SHARE/- button, then press LB/L1/L to change difficulty or RB/R1/R to toggle Time Attack mode on or off.
Or, you can press ESC on keyboard, or the START/MENU/OPTIONS/+ button on gamepad, to open the full menu.
The above instructions are all displayed in game, so don't worry if you don't remember them!
Explanation of game rules
Game 1 (Standard)
You will begin next to a taco restaurant, with your poopmeter at maximum.
Use the keyboard, D-Pad, or analog stick to move in four directions. Your movement is on a grid.
Press the SPACE bar or any gamepad button to poop. (Key assignments can be changed in Help & Options.)
Pooping repeatedly in the same spot will increase poop size. 1 poop = small, 3 poops = medium, 5 poops = large.
Pooping will decrease your poopmeter. If you return to the original spot next to the taco restaurant and press the SPACE bar or any gamepad button, you will eat and replenish the meter a small amount. (You are not able to poop in this spot.)
After a few moments of peace and quiet at the beginning of the game, joggers will start to appear. They start at one end of the park and attempt to reach the opposite end. They can jog horizontally or vertically.
If a jogger encounters a small poop, they will stop for a short time, after which the poop will disappear and they'll continue jogging.
If a jogger encounters a medium poop, they will stop for a significantly longer time, but the poop will then disappear and they'll move on.
If a jogger reaches a large poop, they'll be trapped in it and you'll score 1 point. After 5 seconds the poop and jogger will both disappear. A different jogger will then spawn somewhere else.
If a jogger reaches a large poop that already contains a jogger, they'll disappear immediately and you will score 3 points. This is called a "combo" and it's the key to higher scores. When this happens, the poop's remaining onscreen time will also be extended by 1 second.
Your score is displayed to the left, along the top of the screen. If you're not playing Time Attack mode, to the right will be a number that starts at 5. This is your number of remaining "misses." You lose 1 "miss" if a jogger is able to leave the screen. The game ends when the number of remaining "misses" reaches 0. There is no way to obtain additional "misses."
If you are playing Time Attack mode, instead of the number of "misses," the elapsed time is displayed. There is no penalty for joggers leaving the screen in this mode.
The longer you last, the faster the joggers get, and the more of them appear at once. You may also notice that at the beginning of the game, joggers do not go through the taco restaurant. This restriction is later lifted.
If your score is greater than 0, or if you reach 200 points in Time Attack mode, your results will be posted to Steam Leaderboards. There are separate Leaderboards for each combination of difficulty and Time Attack mode.
Game 2 (Remix)
The rules are the same as Game 1, except for the following changes:
- Joggers may occasionally change direction. This can only happen once per jogger.
- A new character is added. He replaces every 8th jogger. He is a tax collector, his name is "Fee Seize," and he is recognizable by his briefcase, grey color, and distinct sound. If you touch him, you'll be fined 10 points. He is, however, worth double points when trapped. (Your score cannot go below 0.)
- You are able to use the Poop Bomb. When your poopmeter is flashing, HOLD the poop button to deploy. The strength of the Poop Bomb depends on how full the poopmeter is at deployment. (At maximum strength, it can cover 9 spots at once.) Be careful; your poopmeter will be left empty. You will also need to score some points before you can use the Poop Bomb again.
Game 3 (Alternate)
The rules are the same as Game 1, except for the following change:
- When joggers encounter a small or medium poop, they will not stop moving. Instead, they will turn 90 degrees to the right. (Your poops will slowly degrade and eventually disappear.) How will you leverage this to your advantage?
Game 4 (Simple)
The rules are the game as Game 1, except for the following changes:
- Medium poops now only require two button presses.
- Large poops now only require three button presses.
- Joggers will only jog horizontally; no vertical joggers will appear.
- After trapping a jogger, large poops will disappear after only 2 seconds as opposed to the normal 5. (This makes combo bonuses more difficult to achieve.)
Explanation of menu options
The main menu looks like this:
- Start Game: Gameplay will begin.
- Game Select: Choose from Games 1 through 4. (If you don't own the "Unlock All Modes" DLC, you will still be able to try Games 2-4, but only for 1 minute.)
- Difficulty: Normal or Hard.
- Time Attack: On or Off. If On, there is no penalty when joggers escape, and the game continues until you score 200 points. Try to do this as quickly as possible!
- Help & Options: See below.
- Steam Leaderboards: See how you compare against the world on 16 unique Leaderboards here. There is one Leaderboard for each possible combination of Game, difficulty, and whether Time Attack is on.
- Buy "Unlock All Modes" DLC: If you have not yet purchased the DLC, this option will appear on both the main and pause menus.
- Quit: Quits the game.
The Help & Options menu, which is accessible from either the main or pause menu, gives you these:
- Keyboard Config: Reassign the gameplay keys using this menu.
- Color Select: You can change the color of the player character here. (Sorry, the color of the joggers cannot be changed.)
- Sound Volume: Pretty self-explanatory...
- Screen Size: Use this to shrink things a bit if your screen is cutting off the edges.
- Screen Mode: Choose between full screen and several windowed options. Restart the game for changes to take effect. (If you choose a windowed option and it's too big for your screen, it will automatically be adjusted.)
- How To Play: A text-based explanation of what to do.
- Back: Return to the previous menu.
Quick FAQ
What the heck is this, anyway?
This game was inspired by the Orange Lounge Radio podcast, which is (as far as I know) the longest-running video game podcast on the Internet, having begun broadcasting in May of 2002. You can find out more about it here. They broadcast live on Twitch now, so if you have something to say about this, I'd encourage you to drop by on a Sunday evening and make your voice heard =)
Will this game be expanded further in the future?
I don't currently plan to expand the "2600-styled" main version of Pixel Poops any further beyond what it presently is. Depending on how it is received, its level of popularity, etc. I may choose to add something small to it in the future, but I promise that the "Unlock All Modes" DLC will actually unlock all modes. As in, I will not add anything further to it that the DLC will not give you. If you buy the DLC today, you will always have the full game.
What is Pixel Poops 64?
Pixel Poops 64 is a re-imagined Pixel Poops created for Commodore 64 using the 1985 software "Garry Kitchen's GameMaker." It is available as paid DLC. It plays somewhat differently, but if you like Pixel Poops, I think you'll enjoy it as well.
What is Pixel Poops Number Two?
Pixel Poops Number Two is a full-blown sequel, created for NES using NESMaker software. It was not actually developed by me; instead, it is by one of the co-hosts of the OLR podcast mentioned above! It has wonderful new audio and visuals. It also plays quite a bit differently; while the basic rules are the same, the focus is on completing the levels, rather than obtaining a high score. It will take you some time and effort to play through all the levels and environments! It also features two-player simultaneous play! If you like challenging NES games, it should be right up your alley!
Why does Pixel Poops Number Two cost more than Pixel Poops?
As I am not the creator of the game, I did not set the price. That said, I believe that the high level of quality and the sheer amount of content in Pixel Poops Number Two justify the higher price, and that if you purchase it, you will find it well worth your money!
Where can I learn more about Pixel Poops 64 and Number Two?
You can read the online manuals for both right here on Steam!
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1492450/view/3031455588216313317
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1492450/view/3029203342774031418
OK, enough about those. What are some tips for Pixel Poops?
Everyone should develop strategies that work for them, obviously, but here are some basic hints:
- You can move faster if you tap repeatedly or "wiggle" the movement input, rather than just hold it down.
- If you're using a gamepad, you can poop faster by mashing multiple face buttons, rather than just one. If you're using the keyboard...well, that's why there are TWO assignable poop keys. =)
- If you move UP into the taco restaurant, you'll be instantly moved to the eating space.
- Laying more poops ahead of time will stop more joggers, but will also make combo bonuses more difficult to obtain. In other words, lower risk, lower reward.
- Combo bonuses mean everything in Time Attack mode. It may be better to let some joggers escape if they only would have been worth 1 point. Remember, there is no penalty for joggers escaping in Time Attack.
Why can I change the color of the player, but not the joggers?
When someone streams or broadcasts themselves playing one of my games, the game acts as a representation of me, as presented by that player. If it were possible to change both the player and jogger colors, it would be possible for the player to represent me in a way that does not align with my feelings and values. Therefore, I decided to make the color of the joggers non-adjustable. If you would have enjoyed using this feature, I'm sorry!
Does Pixel Poops contain any hidden features or "Easter eggs?"
At this time, no, it doesn't. All features are visible from the start. I'm not sure about Number Two, though... =)
Pixel Poops (c) 2015 2021 Aaron Teplitsky.
Pixel Poops 64 (c) 2021 Aaron Teplitsky.
Pixel Poops Number Two (c) 2021 Matt Whiteman.
Commodore and NES are trademarks of their respective owners; said owners grant no specific license or endorsement for this product.