Sky Crane

Gameplay and controls are structured around a single primary interface: a virtual joystick and a set of contextual buttons displayed on the screen. The player controls the sky crane's horizontal movement using the left analog stick or the W, A, S, D keys on a keyboard. The right analog stick or the mouse controls the altitude of the winch cable, raising or lowering the attached cargo. The cargo is attached to a single cable point; there is no secondary tether. To pick up a load, the player must lower the winch hook directly over the cargo's attachment ring until a magnetic lock indicator appears, then press the action button (E key or A button on a controller) to secure the load. Releasing the load requires hovering over the designated drop zone and pressing the action button again. The game features a stability indicator in the lower right corner of the screen, showing the cargo's swing angle and rotational momentum. Excessive swinging can cause the load to detach or collide with obstacles, resulting in mission failure. The player can apply a damping function by holding the left trigger or the Shift key, which reduces pendulum motion at the cost of slower winch speed. The camera is fixed in a top-down isometric view, with no manual rotation or zoom controls. The game provides a heads-up display showing altitude, wind speed, and remaining mission time. No tutorials are provided beyond a single introductory level; all mechanics are learned through trial and error.