SYSTEM LINK ESTABLISHED.

You awaken as a process inside a remote maintenance unit.

The facility is silent. Its systems are fragmented, its purpose is unknown, and direct control is unavailable. Your only connection to the outside world is a terminal and the camera feed of the machine carrying you.

Learn its command structure. Restore its capabilities. Explore the bunker one instruction at a time.

What is Shellbound?

Shellbound is a command-driven simulation game about operating a maintenance bot inside an abandoned underground facility.

Instead of controlling the character directly, you communicate with the machine through a terminal. Commands are entered manually, processed by the active system, and translated into actions inside the simulation.

Shellbound simulates the remote command-line operation of a maintenance bot for players who enjoy methodical exploration, system-driven gameplay, and learning through experimentation.

Current Features

  • Separate ROOT and SIM command environments
  • Diegetic transitions between system states
  • Terminal-driven bot movement
  • Relative movement based on the bot’s orientation
  • Bot rotation commands
  • NavMesh-based navigation
  • Live camera feed
  • Context-dependent command access
  • Command history and autocomplete
  • Structured and color-coded terminal feedback
  • Browser-playable WebGL build

Controls

Click once inside the game window to give the browser build keyboard focus.

  • Type using the keyboard
  • Enter — Execute command
  • Tab — Autocomplete
  • Up/Down Arrow — Navigate command history

Available Commands

ROOT command space:

  • PING
  • HELP
  • CD GAME

SIM command space:

  • MOVE FORWARD <DISTANCE>
  • MOVE BACK <DISTANCE>
  • MOVE LEFT <DISTANCE>
  • MOVE RIGHT <DISTANCE>
  • ROTATE LEFT <DEGREES>
  • ROTATE RIGHT <DEGREES>
  • CD ROOT

Example command sequence: 

CD GAME
MOVE FORWARD 5
ROTATE RIGHT 90 
MOVE FORWARD 3 
CD ROOT

Development Status

Shellbound is currently in early development for the Game Gauntlet SIM Jam.

Version 0.1.5 establishes the command system, terminal interface, system transitions, camera feed, and basic bot navigation. The environment and available command set are still limited and will continue to evolve during the jam.

Planned features include:

  • Typewriter effects and terminal audio
  • Improved movement feedback
  • Waypoint navigation
  • Environmental interaction
  • Additional bot commands
  • Bot skills and automation
  • Expanded bunker environments
  • More visual and audio polish

Known Limitations

  • The current environment is an early test area
  • Movement near walls and unusual geometry may require further tuning
  • The browser build must be clicked once before it receives keyboard input
  • The command set and simulated systems are still limited
  • Audio feedback has not yet been implemented

Current Version 

Version 0.1.5 – Awake


Third-Party Assets

AI Assistance Disclosure

AI tools were used as an advisory assistant for brainstorming, architecture discussions, debugging, and editorial support. AI provided explanations and occasional example snippets, but the production code was written, adapted, integrated, and tested manually by the developer. The game concept, design decisions, implementation, asset integration, and creative direction remain the developer’s own work.

Pre-existing framework and tooling: Custom console-command and state-management foundations by Evil Coding, adapted and expanded during the jam.

More information

Development log