Engine: Unity | Genre: Serious Game, Puzzle Platformer | Platform: Mobile | Timeframe: 3 weeks
Overview
BoxedIn is a puzzle platformer and meant to be a serious game that revolves are around the topic of codependency and with the constraint of using a minimalist art style. Our goal for this project was to incorporate codependency within the gameplay and narrative. We created a 2D mobile platform puzzle game where the player is reliant on their partner to solve all of the challenges that are ahead. The game uses touch controls and you are able to interacted with your partner in various ways, from having your partner follow you or stop in place and having the ability to pick up and throw your partner so that you can solve puzzles that would otherwise not be solvable.
Team
Producers - Sarah Homer & Shuochen Sun
Artist - Murinus Liu
Tech Artist - Alex Cuthbert
Engineer - Roberto Reynoso
Role and Contributions
Role: Game Engineer
Responsibilities:
In this project, As the sole Engineer on the project I played a big part in developing the core gameplay mechanics and systems. I had to make sure to implement easy to use touch controls from the direction that the design needed, I had to make sure to get everything up and running so that the game could run and be playable on a mobile device.
Contributions:
GameManager and UI:
Designed and implemented the GameManager script to manage critical game states, including winning, losing, pausing, restarting, and triggering level transitions.
Integrated the GameUI prefab with the Canvas for managing game screens, so that all the different game screens that are needed can function appropriately.
Connected buttons to GameManager functions to ensure proper UI functionality.
Controller:
Developed touch-based controls:
Touch and hold the left or right side of the screen to move in those directions.
Swipe-up gesture to jump.
Swipe-down gesture to pick up partner and enter that unique throwing state, which restricts player movement, which includes jumping.
Fling gesture to throw the partner in whatever direction the player chooses, which will then return the player back to their normal state from the throwing state.
Tap the middle of the screen to have your partner follow you or hold their position which causes your partner to stay still.
Programmed the camera system to respond dynamically based on player and partner interactions.
Ensured accurate tracking of player and partner distances and their grounded states.
Managed physics behavior for both player and partner depending the the scenario/state that they are in.
Next Scene:
Created a script to determine and load the next scene when transitioning from a text screen.
Throw Handler:
Designed the throw mechanic, allowing players to visually select a throw direction and power.
Implemented logic to calculate drag distance for determining throw strength.
Managed physics transitions for player and partner between throwing and non-throwing modes.
Text Writer/Text Bubble
Programmed scripts to handle text display in bubbles, while ensuring that they play on the proper timing during gameplay.
Start Menu:
Built the Start Menu script to handle the transition from the main menu to the game.
Sound Effects
Implemented a system to trigger sound effects at appropriate gameplay moments.
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