TO-JAM 2023: HELL'S REDEEMER

A top-down action game made in 3 days for TO-JAM 2023 with the theme "You Must Leave It Behind". You play as a demon seeking redemption for your sins. Shed your demonhood to become human as you discard your powers and become more and more human.

2024-02-12 14-11-47.mp4

PROJECT DETAILS

ROLE | Game Designer & Level Designer

TOOLS | Unity & Miro

DURATION | 3 Days

TEAM SIZE | 4 Members

RESPONSIBILITIES

Created designs for player controls between Human & Demon forms
Created designs and concept to keep experience consistent throughout development
Created designs for Enemies and Level Obstacles
Created designs for Levels to be quickly implemented in the game
Created UI Concepts for the player losing their powers

DESIGN PROCESS

DESIGNING AND DEFINING PLAYER EXPERIENCE

DESIGNING THE PLAYER

The player losing powers in order to become core human was an interesting theme that I was excited to work on. The team wanted to try and make the game have a narrative feel, and I wanted to try and represent hypothetical narrative themes through the act of playing.

The game becomes harder as the player loses their powers. Player progression is difficult to design since the options on tools we can give to the player to progress while maintaining themes of redemption through becoming human, we have limited option in what we can give to the player.

Inspired by how Enter the Gungeon provides the Player with a wide array of guns and tools but the player still needs to get better at dodging bullets to beat the game, I wanted to take a similar approach into this game.

The player shouldn't even be weak enough where they can never reach their own goals or the goals of some current objective. The tools they have to reach those goals are replaced and degraded, limiting the number of options players have to approach fights.

It fits a narrative theme of resilience and hardships to redeem yourself of your sins while respecting the player's growth and enabling their skill to be enough to win the game.

ENHANCING EXPERIENCE THROUGH HAZARDS

With Enemies and Level Obstacles, these were tools I could use to test the player's skill and have advantages the player might have against Enemies and Obstacles disappear once becoming human.

With Enemies I wanted attacks to become harder to deal with when becoming Human. Immunities to attacks or options against attacks that only exist in Demon form will make Enemies harder but not impossible to deal with as the player progresses.

Enemies force the player to move in certain ways. Combining this with Level Obstacles also enhances the experience. With this, I focused more on Obstacles going from aspects of the world that don't impact the Demon form at all to hazards the player MUST be aware of during Human form.

Learning how to navigate growing hazards through Enemy Attacks and Level Obstacles fits with the player losing option in combat through purification and progression through skill.

DESIGNING THE LEVELS

When I designed the levels, I focused on creating a space that allows easy Demon Movement and difficult Human movement. Placement of Enemies would manipulate the player to move in certain ways, with the Demon moveset easily overcoming the obstacles set in place and the Human moveset forcing the player to become more aware of the hazards in conjunction with relentless Enemy attacks.

BRAINSTORMING AND UI WORK

KEY TAKEAWAYS

DESIGN QUICK EARLY

Early prototyping lets you see your designs in action early.
You notice flaws easily and know what is absolutely necessary to fulfill goals of designs.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse