mole miners
a fully accessible Breakout inspired game
overview
Created as part of a suite of games for the prestigious UK gaming charity Special Effect, Mole Miners is a vibrant twist on the classic Breakout formula, designed from the ground up to be accessible to players of all abilities. Using your eyes, a mouse, a gamepad, a switch interface, a keyboard, or any combination thereof, you’ll join a team of intrepid moles on a mission to blast away glittering jewels with their trusty mining cannons. With a limited number of shots and plenty of precious gems to collect, players will need to sharpen their aiming skills to clear each stage, fill their mining carts, and climb the online leaderboard. Ready for some jewel-mining mayhem?
building a world
Mole Miners features dozens of handcrafted levels, spread across five distinct stages, each with its own visual style and escalating challenges. To keep the design process streamlined, our team built and balanced all levels outside of Unity first, carefully planning the layout and pacing of each screen. From there, a custom level-building system imported this design data and automatically assembled the stages inside the engine, dramatically speeding up implementation and ensuring every level felt polished and consistent. This workflow allowed us to focus more time on refining difficulty, testing accessibility options, and fine-tuning the overall player experience.
classic gameplay with a twist
While the core loop takes inspiration from the retro arcade classic Breakout, Mole Miners brings plenty of fresh ideas to the table. Players can collect an array of powerful power-ups, like explosive shots and multi-ball cannons, to keep gameplay dynamic and rewarding. The atmospheric backdrops and playful character animations create a world that feels both nostalgic and contemporary, with the kind of rich, colorful visuals that have become a Sun & Moon signature. Combined with tight, responsive mechanics, the result is an experience that’s easy to pick up and hard to put down.
result
Mole Miners delivers an accessible, charming, and highly replayable spin on a timeless arcade classic. Whether you’re chasing high scores, exploring each handcrafted stage, or just enjoying a few quick rounds, the game proves that thoughtful design and universal accessibility can go hand in hand. We’re proud to have helped create an experience that welcomes everyone into the fun, no matter how they choose to play.
