Beavertown
"Life's a Beach" is a chaos-infused adventure that emerged from our game jam's "Chaotic" theme. Drawing inspiration from The Escapist series, we adopted a top-down perspective to simulate a guard's patrol. Our sound designer's voxel art brought life to characters and environments despite the lack of an artist. Inspired by my hospitality experiences, we crafted a game where an employee's final day transforms into chaos. A "losing heart" mechanic, proposed by our programmer, became our central gameplay element. Join us in navigating the blend of chaos and strategy that defines this engaging experience.
Duration: 1 Week
Team Size: 5
Role: Game / Level Designer
Engine: Unity
Game Design
Level Design
GDD
In the process of
Bringing
In desig ning
Character and Level Design
Room Design and Dynamic Obstacles: Crafting Engaging Gameplay
The central placement of the bar, a navigational beacon, lent players a guiding anchor amidst the expansive setting. While uniformity described the room designs, I strategically incorporated destructible objects into select spaces. A security guard patrolling the main corridor posed an ever-present obstacle, a calculated challenge that upped the game's difficulty quotient while maintaining equilibrium.
While our original vision included an inventory system from The Escapists, the lack of time in the game jam caused a pragmatic pivot. Adjusting resourcefully, we simplified mechanics to contain object acquisition and transport, afterwards allowing for their destruction either in designated bins or a noticeable bonfire a method that ingeniously communicates potential threats to patrolling guards. This streamlined approach not only aligned with the project's worldly limitations but also emerged as an unexpectedly cohesive element, symbolic of the synergy representing our team's collective endeavour.
Overall, we were pleased with the outcome of the game jam, and we believe that our unique approach and innovative mechanics resulted in an engaging and enjoyable gaming experience.
