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Games Development Task 1

 24/9/2024-3/1/2025 Week 1 - Week 14

Wong Kai Xin / 0353027

Games Development / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media / The Design School

Task 1

INSTRUCTIONS


Students are required to design and create their own 2D side scrolling/platformer game. The game design document serves as a blueprint for their game and will contain all the necessary information
and visual references to develop the game. Sample GDD will be provided as a reference, but students are expected to research more on the matter to determine the necessary content items for their own GDD.
CLASS SUMMARY

Week 1
Today, we were briefed on the module information booklet, then were asked to test out some games from the website https://thedesignschool.taylors.edu.my/gamezone/ and to list out some drawbacks of the games we tested out.

Elements of a game:
1. challenge
2. strategy
3. chance
4. choice
5. luck

Week 2
We were separated into groups to create a game in class today after learning about some game ideation methods in class today.
Then we played some games on a website which contained classic retro games to get some inspiration. 


Our group decided to use the SCAMPER method to help out our ideation process and altogether, we create a game named "Zombie Chef" which is inspired by the games Cooking Fever, Subway Surfers and Plant VS Zombies.

Week 3
steps:
1. add shape
2. add components - rigidbody 2D + box collider 2D
- can also change the mass of the objects for better results

1. catapult exercise



2. car moving front n back
3. challenge

Week 4

Introduction for Implement Basic Gameplay
▪ In this Unit, we will program a top-down game with the objective of throwing food to hungry animals. 
▪ You will become much more familiar with some of the most important programming and Unity concepts, including if-then statements, random value generation, arrays, collision detection, prefabs, and instantiation 
▪ learn how to program a basic game with the ability to launch projectiles and maneuver the player to keep the game alive.















TASK 1

Week 1
critical analysis
I managed to try out some games altogether: 

1. dream cream survival of the sweetest:

A visually charming game that mixes a candy-filled wonderland with survival gameplay. Players control ice cream characters that fight for dominance in a colorful, candy-themed world. The game’s world is beautifully crafted, with pastel landscapes, giant cupcakes, syrup rivers, and candy cane trees. Each ice cream character has a unique and fun design, adding to the game's playful appeal, which draws in players who love bright and fun environments.

However, while the visuals are impressive, the gameplay falls short. Players need to dodge obstacles, collect ingredients and dodge opponents, but these tasks quickly become repetitive. After a few rounds, the lack of variety in objectives makes the game feel boring.

The controls, while simple, can feel imprecise at times. Movement is often inconsistent, which detracts from the fast-paced action that the game seems to encourage. This imprecision can make dodging obstacles or aiming attacks feel frustrating rather than skill-based. Additionally, enemy glitches are noticeable, and even with the jump feature, dodging enemies often feels impossible.

2. sneak out to snack
A game where players sneak around the house late at night to find snacks without letting the family members find out or get caught by the security cameras. Although the idea is fun and quirky, the game has trouble keeping players engaged with its charming concept.

The controls are simple but can feel clunky, especially when precision is needed. Not only that, the movement of the character in the game was quite glitchy, specifically when moving down or up the stairs. I also felt like the "hide" feature was unnecessary. This can make sneaking around frustrating, particularly when players get caught due to the game’s clumsy controls instead of their own mistakes.

The game starts off easy but introduces more complicated obstacles as you play, like security cameras, locked doors, and new characters. However, the difficulty often jumps up suddenly, making it feel more like a boring grind than a rewarding challenge. Players may find themselves repeating the same parts over and over because of small mistakes, which can be frustrating.

Visually, the design lacks variety—houses look similar across levels, and the environments don’t change enough to keep things visually interesting. After a few levels, the repetitive design begins to make the experience boring.

Replayability is an issue with this game. Once the fun of sneaking around wears off, there’s not much reason to play the levels again or try new strategies, as the gameplay doesn’t really change. The limited number of levels doesn’t encourage players to come back.


the transition between rooms were confusing as well. The first time I played the game, I was surprised to find that we could move past the rooms as there was a barrier in between the rooms. 


IDEAS FOR TASK 1

Google docs:


Presentation video:

REFLECTION

Coming from a person who have not played a lot of computer games, I figured I would struggle a lot with this module. Looking back at this creative exercise, I feel like I’ve stretched my imagination and tried to push the boundaries of simple ideas. Coming up with these game concepts made me realize how much thought goes into each detail, from the storyline to the gameplay mechanics and even the visuals. It’s not just about having a fun idea but also figuring out how to make it engaging and relatable to players.

At times, I felt like I was overthinking things, especially when it came to adding more depth to the story or mechanics. But this exercise showed me that sometimes simplicity is key. It’s easy to get carried away with ideas, but making sure everything fits together smoothly is just as important.

Overall, I feel like I’ve learned a lot about balancing creativity with practicality. There’s still room for improvement, especially when it comes to making ideas more streamlined for game development, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made and how much clearer my thought process has become. I also can't wait to make the game soon.
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