Simple projects that focus on one specific mechanic or design element.
Development Time:
2 weeks.
Synopsis:
Players control a rocket fist that propels around the planet to destroy incoming asteroids. The game was designed to play with the use of only one button.
High Concept:
Smashteroids is a One-Button game where players must time their attacks to destroy as many asteroids as possible and defend the planet from imminent destruction.
The idea for this game came from a brainstorming session after playing various online one-button games - my initial concept was to combine Asteroids and Punch Quest.
Credits:
Made using Unity 2D.
Mechanics were all scripted using C# in Visual Studio.
Art assets created by me in Procreate on iPad and edited further in Photoshop on PC.
SFX were sourced from Freesounds.org.
VFX are part of the default Unity package.
Development Time:
2 weeks.
Conceptualization and Prototyping :
Week one was spent working on the mechanics of the game in Unity 2D. The concept was locked in during class, so it was just a matter of choosing the means and medium of creating the project. With the concept being so simple, I decided to script in C# because I wanted to also retain what I had learned in previous semesters as I had been using the Unreal Engine more often.
Adding Assets:
Week 2 was spents creating original art assets on my iPad using Procreate and then editing the Alpha Channels in Photoshop on my PC. I also added a few basic particle emitters and sound effects to each collision for feedback - also tying the Health and Fuel variables to text on the UI.
Wrap Up:
This was the first project in the Rapid Development course - a course in which each module we had 2 weeks to prototype a game with a topic we had no preparation for. This concept could be pushed a bit further in terms of presentation and difficulty ramp, but overall it was meant to set the pace for the duration of the semester and get something fun and functional out fast.
Development Time:
2 weeks.
Synopsis:
Exercise in Level Design 2 Course - create an environment with a basic attack and breakable objects.
Players:
1
Credits:
Default First-Person Assets provided by Unreal Engine 4.
Environment and props were modeled by me using Brushes.
Some SFX is sourced from Freesounds.org.
Target Audience:
PC Players.
Action-Adventure enthusiasts.
High Concept:
An adventurer exploring a dangerous mountain finds themselves trapped within its peaks.
During this course, I wanted to continue practicing creating natural environments using primitives, so my narrative was crafted to fit this exercise.
Week One: Planning and Framework
The first week was spent creating a walkthrough and asset list. I was given some feedback to create a more believable natural space and to try and implement an enemy introduction - nothing too complex, just some foreshadowing that there is a threat players would later encounter if this were a full title. Form there, the basic block out was done and the project set up so the next week’s work could begin.
Week Two: Construction and Bug Fixes
More time was spent on level construction - creating natural looking Static Meshes, crafting a Vista Shot with an enemy introduction, adjusting lighting, adding fog, and implementing player objectives.
Once the level was fully laid out, I created a sword prop, attached it to the player character and set it to appear on Left Mouse click. I also created a barrel and made it a destructible object - this still needs work but due to time constraints, I just needed it to be functional to fulfill the project requirements.
