Nunu's adventure

FOCUS

Project Manager, Level and Game Designer, 2D Artist

DESCRIPTION

The requirement for this course was to create a game about pathfinding in GameMaker. We developed a game about a pupil of a wizard who needs to defeat enemies using magic cards to reach the source of corruption behind the animals that are attacking the village and the main character. The ending was locked, as the player needed to purchase a DLC to unlock the boss battle. This was the first digital game I worked on with a small team. The project met its requirements, but it wasn't as focused on pathfinding and was more centered on the card mechanic where the player attacks similar monsters. If I could redesign this game, I would make it more about avoiding monsters and using paths to reach safe zones and the main destination of the game. This would make the game more focused on "paths" and could include NPCs who talk to the player about finding oneself and their own path.

TIME

3 months

TYPE

2D game in GameMaker

University Project

Team of four

Design Challenges:

My challenge was to create a 2D game about pathfinding while satisfying all the ideas that the team wanted to include. Our team wanted a dungeon crawler in a fantasy setting similar to Lord of the Rings.

I drew inspiration from two games: Slay the Spire and The Binding of Isaac. Combining elements from both games would give a unique spin on the gameplay, where you build your deck to defeat monsters in rooms for loot while navigating through 2D space.

For the narrative, I thought about having the player enter the dungeon to find the source of all evil, which could serve as an epiphany for the player as they learn that the main character, Nunu, was the one who released it, as they desired power more than their master. The player would have a choice: defeat evil for the greater good, or try to take control of it to gain powers beyond comprehension. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the final boss turned into a joke where the player had to pay 60 euros to play the DLC to access the boss battle. I wasn’t experienced in communicating my idea and didn’t have a point of reference for how much time goes into development, leading to overscoping. I have learned from this project the importance of time management and would make the game simpler to create in the future. My role: Create a game concept based on teammates’ ideas Revise the game concept based on feedback Learn to use programs such as GameMaker and Aseprite to animate and assist teammates Develop the logic behind card mechanics and enemy types

Challenges:

One of the challenges I faced was learning how to animate in pixels using Aseprite. I took inspiration from the art styles of Children of Moira and Noita for my characters. I analyzed how they animated their characters, how they showcased details in pixels, and the color palettes they used.

My role:

Create moodboards for characters (Nunu and her mentor)
Create sketch concepts for characters and UX/UI
Create 2D pixel assets for the Menu
Create 2D animations for the main character and mentor
Actively iterate on the designs with feedback to enhance the pieces

Challenges:

The team had an idea, and we wanted to achieve it. The challenge was that we all had lives outside of the project, and none of us could dedicate all of our time to the game due to the turbulence in our personal lives. I had to navigate our schedule and ensure that we all managed to produce a game that met the requirements and was enjoyable to play.

My role:

Track the progress of each team member and monitor the overall progress of the game.
Use Notion to keep the team on track with the game concept and art style.
Check in with team members to ensure their well-being, progress, and study balance.
Update the priority task list on Trello every week and delegate tasks accordingly.

Polina Porshakova | Game Designer

Nunu's adventure

Spooky Savings

porshakova771@gmail.com