Description
Decay is a 2D Narrative Puzzle with 3 imposed styles (Co-op, Turn based, Progression) and the theme « It’s not a glitch, it’s a feature ». Take turns playing Rem, the hero of the platformer, and the developer, helping him escape of a buggy world on the verge of collapse!
My contribution
I started the project as a team leader and developer. Having already realized several game jams, my experience allowed me to separate the tasks for the programmers in order to save a maximum of time. Then, I was the Level Designer of the team, making all the levels.
Create a game within a game
Our idea was to create a game where the hero of a platform game is helped (Co-op) by a developer, playing each in turn. To achieve this challenge, we selected several important elements:
- A buggy world
- A game engine interface
- A command prompt
A buggy world
First, we combined the classic platformer victory key with a USB stick and the end of a level with a tape. We play on the golden aspect of these elements to make sure the player understands the objective of the game.
Then, we added a maximum of glitched elements as we went along so that the player feels both the aspect of progression in the game and the feeling of « urgency » in which Rem finds himself. A remark that was made to us by one of the members of the jury and which could have reinforced this feeling would have been to add a timer to force the player to find the solution quickly.
A game engine interface
To replicate the « developer » aspect, we were inspired by Unity. We reproduced the engine design with the hierarchy, showing all the objects controllable by the player. We tried to put a maximum of details to keep the player in this spirit with for example special cards for each object, toggles for the different controllable values, etc.
A command prompt
What is THE important thing for a developer, that he uses daily. No, I’m not talking about Stack Overflow but about the command prompt! Moreover, what better way to add a narrative aspect (The « Story » element of the tetrad described by Jesse Schell) than a console that has only one purpose: to write text to its user.
What I learned
First, I strengthened my teamwork and management skills. Working with 4 developers on the same project is not easy. I’m not only talking about conflicts for the code, but also about cutting each task, letting the developers know exactly what we expect from their features. The more fluid and clear the communication is, the more time we save and we can concentrate on harder tasks or to add content. This is vital in game jams and in the video game industry in general.
Secondly, I’ve gotten better at creating an experience for the player. I touched on everything from feature design to working with the artists creating our world. I also used this project to recreate puzzles and dive back into level design.
