Engine: Unreal Engine | Genre: Racing | Platform: PC | Alternate Controller | Timeframe: 4 months
Overview
Clench the Stench, is a 4 player racing game that uses an alternate controller: an office chair. Players rotate the chair in place to move forward in the game (we use gyro for this). If a player stands up, they will active a boost, provided their boost meter isn't depleted. Using pressure pads embedded in the chair's cushion, players can steer left or right by lifting a butt cheek. To use an item (if they have one), players must hit both armrests simultaneously. The gameplay is inspired from games like Mario Kart, though the uniqueness comes from the hilarious aesthetic of your goal being to get to the finish line first, so that you are able to use the restroom, as the name entails you are literally clenching the stench. We have been able to host our game at multiple events which include EAE Launch and The Halo Championship Series 2024: Salt Lake City Major. We have now confirmed a spot at GDC (Game Developers Conference) to share the experience of Clench the Stench with many others.
Team
Producers - Preston Phung
Design - Harry Yuhan Cai
Artist - Zheng "Soap" Gui
Tech Artist - Heejae Lim & Victor Zhexuan Zou
Engineer - Chai Lin & Roberto Reynoso & Gabe Robinson-Barr & Edmund Yunhao Ye & Zishuai Zhang
User Research - Arjun Shivakumar
Role and Contributions
Role: Game Engineer
Responsibility:
Within Clench the Stench, as a Game Engineer, I was responsible for various systems, mechanics, and environmental features. I created the item inventory system, allowing player to hold up to two items at a time. I developed the race manager, which tracks player placements during the race, and the checkpoint system, which assists in determining player placements, that and the distance the player is from the next checkpoint and the finish line. The checkpoint system also ensures that if a player falls off the track, they respawn at the last checkpoint they passed.
Additionally, I designed a track generator system utilizing Unreal Engine's spline system, enabling us to create tracks more efficiently. I was also responsible for implementing all the in-game items and balancing their distribution. Item box drop rates were dynamically adjusted based on player's placement in the race to ensure balanced gameplay and minimize the advantage of leading players.
Beyond these major contributions, I assisted with various other tasks as needed to support the development of the game.
Contributions:
Track Generator:
This uses Unreal Engine's spline system to generate the track from node to node and allows the track to bend. Through the properties you can set what the checkpoints are (the checkpoints will spawn on the nodes of the spline system) and if the node needs barriers or not.
Item Box:
This gives the player various items based on the placement that the player is currently in. Once the player collides with this object and they have space for an item, which their capacity is two, an Enum of an item will be added to their array of items.
Race Manager:
The Manager keeps track and sets the players placements by using distance and what checkpoint the player is on. This also takes care of spawning in every single checkpoint and the information for the checkpoints is gathered from the Track Generator.
Respawn Player:
Respawning player activates if the player is below the respawn object, which is placed in the world. The player's location and rotation are set to the last checkpoint they hit.
Spawn Item:
Is activated when the player hits the use item action, and it will then read and remove the Enum version of the item from left to right. Then it will take that Enum and spawn the corresponding item from it.
Check Point:
These checkpoint objects are attached to the nodes of the track generator system. If a player overlaps a checkpoint object and the object has a higher rating, the player's current checkpoint will be updated to that object.
Finished Race:
If the player hits the last checkpoint, the player finishes the race. This will disable input from the player, along with changing the UI to the end screen, which lists out the time finished, times staggered, items used, and placement.
Setting Up Tutorial:
Before character selection, the canvas is set to the tutorial screen and by hitting the select action, it will go to the character selection screen.
Bean:
This item gives a small increase to the player's boost meter.
Burrito:
This item gives a medium increase to the player's boost meter.
Papaya Smoothie:
This item gives a max increase to the player's boost meter.
Back Fan:
This item will prevent the player from being staggered by a staggering item and then will be destroyed.
Fart Blast:
This item will track the player that is in front of the one that threw it and will stagger that player on hit.
Fart Bomb:
This item shoots off a radius-based collision around the player that uses this item and will stagger players within that collision.
Fart Strike:
This item will target the leading player by spawning above them and staggers them on hit.
Tums:
This item will track the player that is in the front of the one that threw it and will set the player's boost meter to zero on hit.
Comments