TRI NGUYEN GAME DESIGNER
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OTHER

available on google play store

OVERVIEW

Platform:
PC

Tools:
Unity

Duration:
3 Weeks

Team Size:
8

​Role:
Creative Director,
​Game Designer
This project came about for a local game jam. The theme was "Fall". I and 7 others came together to participate in the jam. We immediately locked on the idea of falling in love and brainstormed different ways to have the gameplay communicate that narrative. We came up with the idea of using a bullet-hell mechanics to show the ups and downs of a relationship.

I designed the flow, level design and mechanics of the game, determining what patterns should be used and where they should be placed. I also was the creative director for a team of eight, keeping the art, engineering, narrative, and music constantly updated and on-track so that the final product could be as refined and consistent as possible.

Over 4000 views, 806 downloads on PC
5* Rating on Android



Play on PC

DESIGN WALKTHROUGH

Summary
For the design of this game, I took inspiration from classic bullet hell games to communicate the story of a relationship. I start the player as one piece of a heart, floating alongside another one. As the game progresses, the heart comes together and gets larger stronger. The larger the heart gets, the more health the player has. This communicates the theme of a strong union by having the player be easier to hit (larger hit-box), but harder to lose also (more health points).

Game Flow
The game is deliberately paced out using level layout and music. The level's pacing starts off easy (to communicate flirting and getting to know someone) and gets more and more difficult (showing the difficulties that arise in a relationship). The game gets pretty intense in the middle, but ends peacefully. The music is an integral part of the level layout, paralleling difficulty with the intensity of the music.

Art and Design
The bullet hell pattersn were programmed with difficulty and narrative in mind. The diamonds are very easy to dodge, representing the mundane obstacles of every day life. The diamonds burst out slowly, making them very easy. As the game progresses, the patterns get more difficult. The spades go horizontally across the screen in a sin wave pattern and the clubs spiral out. I also added a trail to the patterns so that the player would know where the future 

DETAILED INFO

Video
- edited the trailer in Adobe Premiere Pro CC
- utilized video and music from the game

Design
- worked with narrative designer to determine flow and pacing of the game
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  • Professional
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  • About Me