Dev log · 24 October 2026

Five new levels and a dragon

Dev log #4: five new levels and a dragon

Wickrunner went from five levels to ten this week. The candle still burns down every second and water still puts it out, but the levels around it got a lot busier: hens, a water dragon, a burning forest, a wolf, and a cannon. Almost all of it started as a report from someone playing, so thank you to everyone who pressed F9.

Six: The Henhouse

Hens walk back and forth and peck you if you don't jump cleanly over them.

The candle walks into a hen and gets pecked back, then jumps cleanly over her

Water hoops fill up every few seconds and soak you if you pass at the wrong moment.

Waiting on the ledge for the hoop to drain, then jumping through

Geysers now rise out of pools of water instead of out of stone, so you can see where they come from before they go off.

A geyser bursts out of its pool, and the candle jumps over between bursts

Seven: The Dragon's Cave

This is the first boss. You walk in from outside, and a flying water dragon spits at you. Land on its back three times and it gives up. Two things changed after the first version. The dragon used to spit backwards at you while you stood behind it; now it only spits forward, in a cone, so standing in the right place is a real answer.

Standing beside and under the dragon: its spit only goes forward from its snout

And the cave's brazier is hidden during the fight, so you can't stand on it and refill forever.

The dragon wakes, and the brazier behind it disappears for the fight

If your flame goes out, the dragon heals, and you start the fight again from the top.

One stomp takes a heart, the spit puts the candle out, and the dragon is back to three hearts

When it surrenders, you climb on its back and fly off, and that ends the level.

The beaten dragon lands and bows, the candle climbs on and they fly away

Eight: Over the Burning Forest

The ride continues as a flying level. You steer the dragon up and down over a forest on fire, dodge crows, and spray water on the burning trees in your way.

Riding the dragon: spraying out a burning tree and flying down and up past the crows

At the end you land and walk the last bit to the lantern. It's the only level where you don't jump, and a nice break between two hard ones.

The dragon lands, the candle jumps off and walks to the lantern

Nine: The Red Wolf

Twenty stepping stones over water, a hen, and a red wolf that bites unless you jump on it. Then three houses on stone bases with slippery roofs, and trampolines on little islands between them to bounce you over.

From the jump pad over the first house, onto a trampoline, over the second and third houses to the lantern

Ten: Fuses and Frogs

You light a fuse and follow it to a pile of TNT that blows a hole in a crumbly wall.

The lit fuse burns to the TNT and blows a hole in the wall

After that: a trampoline over two houses, a seesaw over the water, and frogs that grab you with their long tongues unless you land on them first.

Crossing the seesaw as it tips

A frog's tongue hits the candle

And a cannon that shoots you over the last wall. The cannon needed a short cooldown, because you could fall straight back into it and get shot again.

Walking over the cannon's fuse, jumping in and getting shot over the wall

Music, and a menu that scrolls

The game has music now, made in code like everything else: a quiet track for the levels and a faster one for the dragon fight.

The fast boss track kicks in when the dragon wakes (with sound)

Ten levels didn't fit on the level select anymore, so the list scrolls, with a scrollbar.

The level select scrolled down to the last levels, with the Back button still on screen

I also rebuilt the website from scratch, with new key art of the candle riding the dragon and a new trailer.

What's next

A first run is now about 40 minutes instead of 15. Next I want to play all ten in a row with fresh players and see where they get stuck and where it drags. If you play, press F9 in the game: your report reaches me with a screenshot of the exact spot.