Letterdance

(Created for ThinkyCon Jam 2025, my first PICO-8 game) 

Alter your word, one letter at a time, shifting between different valid words;  your goal is to get from your start word to your end word, but it won't be easy!

Use the left/right arrow keys to select which letter to change, and the up/down arrow keys to shift it up or down.

Find new words to gain EXP -- which unlocks new abilities and makes it ~~possible~~ much easier to reach your goal:

- For every 7 EXP collected, you gain a single-use "Leap" which allows you to change TWO letters at a time;  activate it by changing two letters at a time (you still need to "land" on a valid word, of course).

- By collecting 10 EXP, you unlock the Snap ability:  hold the Z/"O" button to automatically snap between valid words obtainable by changing an individual letter, and visualize whether the current letter even has any "give" (you'll soon start feeling like you're picking a lock).

- By collecting 20 EXP, you unlock the Compass:  your word's height will now indicate how close you are to your goal (the closer your word is to the target word, the less steps are needed to reach it, not counting any leaps)

The game begins at "easy" difficulty (starting word distance of 5-8 "steps"), with difficulty increasing on subsequent rounds.  You can change difficulty via the menu (press Enter).

Try to reach the end with a minimal number of words found (in the most direct way)!