Sundance

Gameplay

Sundance was an abstract game in which the player caught falling suns. Geometric sun shapes descended from the top of the screen, and the player had to position beneath them and catch them before they hit the ground. Different suns had different point values. The game had a surreal, almost artistic quality — more of a visual experience than a traditional action game.

Historical Significance

Sundance was one of the more experimental vector titles from Cinematronics. Tim Skelly designed it as an artistic experience, leaning into the abstract beauty of vector graphics rather than conventional gameplay. While not a major commercial success, it represents the more creative end of the vector era — a game that used the medium's visual strengths for atmosphere rather than pure action.

Fun Facts & Legacy

Sundance was one of the few vector games with no shooting mechanic at all. The game's visual design emphasized the natural beauty of phosphor-drawn geometric shapes, creating an almost meditative experience. It was paired with a two-player competitive mode where both players tried to catch suns simultaneously.