Project Type: Game Jam Project
Software Used: Unity, Aseprite,Tiled, FMOD
Language Used: C#
Primary Role: Asset design, Lead Gameplay & Level Design
Itch.io: https://resadan.itch.io/prison-break
"Prison Break" is a top-down roguelike game inspired by classic browser games such as "The Classroom," infused with a prison escape theme. Players is an inmate trying to exploit a power outage for a chance at freedom. The player must navigate the dark environment as the guards and guard tower spotlights are on the search for the player. Balancing between darkness and light is crucial. Players must use shadows for cover while avoiding detection. Lightning strikes occasionally to illuminate the prison, aiding players in locating the key and escape route.
During a 1-week game jam with a team of five, we embraced the challenge of the 1-bit game theme, limiting our palette to just black and white. The additional theme centered around the interplay of light and dark. Serving as Lead Designer and Artist, I took a pragmatic approach to crafting assets and levels that balanced developer feasibility with player enjoyment.
Reflecting on the games that captivated me during my middle school days, I delved into classic game websites like "Congregate," "ArmorGames," "Miniclip," and "Newgrounds." Amid these revisits, I stumbled upon an old favorite called "The Classroom." It struck me that the mechanics from "The Classroom" could used within a prison context, where enemies' sightlines transformed into cones of light. This would with the light and dark theme.
Initially, we embraced a fully dark environment, relying solely on guard tower and guard lights to navigate the maze. However, we pivoted to granting players tools to aid their progress. Thus, I introduced a prisoner class system, offering distinct playable characters, each having their own unique ability to illuminate and navigate the levels effectively.
This approach allowed us to maintain the essence of the original game's concept while infusing it with new challenges and creative opportunities. Below, you'll find a glimpse of the character designs, showcasing the individual abilities that breathed life into our game.
Around three-fourths of the way through the project, our programmers began to feel that the class mechanic might not be feasible within our time frame. Consequently, we opted for a single character approach and introduced the concept of 'lightning' to temporarily illuminate the levels.
As the submission deadline loomed, we finalized the gameplay and incorporated in-game decorations to enhance the prison's immersion. Considering the time we had, we were content with the progress we made.
Artistic Design:
To achieve a retro 1-bit aesthetic, I restricted each sprite to a 16x16 grid. Before settling on the style, I created multiple character design iterations and gathered feedback from my teammates.
We unanimously agreed that a compact character would add charm while retaining intensity under the light and dark theme. The small frame also accentuated the sense of vulnerability in players. Animation was crafted to convey a that the player is urgently trying to escape from imminent danger.
Animations:
This was my first time creating menu screen and win screen for my game and it was a very enjoyable experience.
Level Design:
In my role overseeing level design, I adopted a metroidvania-inspired approach, striving to create a sense of interconnectedness. I aimed to craft an environment where various parts of the level could be revisited, to give it a sense of familiarity and make it cohesive as a whole.
To achieve this, I initially devised a system centered around switches and doors. Players would need to locate a switch, often guarded by watchtowers, which in turn would unlock a nearby door. This mechanism was intended to guide the character throughout different corners of the map, even leading them back to the starting point on multiple occasions. This loop was intended to emulate the essence of metroidvania games.
However, due to the time constraints we faced, we had to scale back our game. Regrettably, we couldn't incorporate multiple door switches as initially planned, ultimately settling for just one instance. Despite this limitation, we aimed to retain the core spirit of metroidvania.
Shown here is one of the level designs I created, outlining the intended layout of the game environment. This draft served as a roadmap of how the level would look in the game.
Challenges:
Our main challenges were primarily related to scope management and feature expansion. Despite numerous ideas to alter the gameplay experience, time constraints prevented their implementation. Additionally, our team faced a language barrier. Since we have members from different continents the language barrier proved difficult when conveying ideas . This obstacle was particularly noticeable among our programmers, who also encountered difficulties in communicating amongst themselves. This issue ended up costing us time in the project.
Conclusion:
Taking the lead in this game jam venture has left me genuinely satisfied with how our game turned out. I got to experience the intricate process of coordinating different minds in a tight timeframe.
This journey has shown me the real power of teamwork. Our team's diversity, coming from different parts of the world,really helped meld together our game. Even with language differences, our shared enthusiasm for creativity brought us together.
This experience solidified my passion for game design and development and showed me the significance of working as a team.