Platformer

This game was originally designed and inspired by a cat rolling off the stairs. This cat is also a cat who loves to eat, but oftentimes the cat get poisoned by foods it shouldn't eat.  Throughout the process of developing the game, I found the mechanic of cats climbing up the walls more interesting than the original idea. There, the concept of the game shifted from cats rolling off stairs imagining a top down platform that is more rigid to focusing mainly on how a square can stick and climb on the wall and "jump" through platforms. As a player, you can jump by pressing space and use the left and right arrow to go left and right. If you press space and one of the arrows, you can stick to the wall.

Development

It has been a challenge working on this project because I losted my project twice. I had some technical difficulties with setting up a repository on GitHub and I was not able to keep up with the work. I also didn’t plan or develop a clear concept of a game I want to make. I just started working on the game with an idea but did not think it through, ending up getting a little lost and not knowing what I really wanted to do. I spend most of the time working on my cat platform then spend the very little time at the end making a completely new game that I wasn’t even sure what I was doing. 

Play test/ Feedbacks

I had a few play test sessions (3). My play testers all agreed that it is challenging to play through the game because the controls with either the arrows or pressing space to jump are both not as precise. It was hard to navigate through the levels even with instructions given for two play testers. However, despite it being very challenging to play, all of them were excited to play because they found the mechanic of sticking and climbing on the wall interesting. Players realized when they are going sideways the speed is way faster than the jump itself, they questioned if that was designed on purpose. There I thought it was interesting how I actually decided to lower the speed of the jump and stick to the wall because I thought it is more challenging to get through levels without touching any spikes. But players think if jump speed is higher, it is easier for them to control and navigate through the levels. 

- no sound effects/audio/score system/cut scenes acknowledging if player won or lost the game or entering levels

- story concept is unclear

Development Documentation

I lost my sketches on designing the cat up down platforms

 

Post Mortem

Successes 

It was a success that I learned how to make a 2D platformer game understanding all of the basic codes and how mechanics works. Although I had a hard time working on this project, I've learned so much and I will definitely be more prepared and planned throughly next time when I am working on a platformer.

- Setbacks (What went wrong in development)

I lost my game updates twice because I had problems creating a repository on GitHub. The first time I lost it was a few days after I worked on it, then the second time I lost it was 1-2 days before it was due. And I was behind due to personal reasons, being absent for a day and not able to work on the project within the time frame. I did a poor job on time management and I did not planned or developed a clear concept on what type of game I wanted to make. I just started with a game concept then jumped straight into Unity. 

Inside Unity, there is endless amount of bugs that I did not get to fix. From my jumping animation not corresponding with the jump function to my enemy rat not reacting to the cat player, then my teleporters not working with the level destination and etc...

- Lessons Learned (How did you overcome or work around your setbacks)

In response to the lost of work and progress, I choose to restart and make a new game that focuses on the main mechanics of how cats can climb up and stick to the wall. I had to redo the project 3 times since I lost it twice. I think it is better to just have the basic functionalities other than not having any work or progress. 

Next time I will make sure my GitHub works and make a developed plan on what type of game I want to make before I start making the game. Study more beforehand on developing the game.I also need to improve on time management being able to finish the project within the time frame. 

- Next Steps 

I will like to add all of the missing components within the game, missing audio/sound effects, scoring system, cut scenes on how player will know if they are losing or winning the game and entering the next level, develop a strong concept of the game itself and more.