Costumes, Seasons, and a Ringmaster

This week was all about visual depth. Each flea in the colony now wears a unique costume — Nova has a parasol on the tightrope, Rex wears a helmet in the cannon, Blaze gets a crown for the fire-breathing act. Small details, but they give each performer an identity you can spot at a glance.

The stage itself changes with the calendar. A seasonal particle system drops snow in winter, cherry blossoms in spring, fireflies in summer, and drifting leaves in autumn. There's also a subtle day/night tint tied to your real-world clock — the strip warms up at golden hour and dims after dark, with brighter stars in the night sky.

The biggest addition is the Ringmaster — a special flea in a top hat who strolls between acts, inspecting the show. He doesn't perform; he supervises. Getting his patrol path right meant spacing his walks so he arrives just as an act transition finishes, which gives the whole circus a sense of choreography it didn't have before.

Under the hood, a full theme system now powers all of this. Eight colour palettes plus an auto-seasonal mode that picks the right one based on the month. Every colour in every act and UI element pulls from the active theme, so switching feels seamless rather than bolted on.