Game Projects

Prototypes

about me

cv

Game Projects

Prototypes

about me

cv

My Role:

Gameplay, Level Designer and Product Owner

Created the mechanic and focused much on movement for the player and camera. I was one of two level designer where my responsibility was all the rooftops, pick ups, and ramp placement. Also organized the work flow and tasks for the team.

Team Size:

9 People

Duration:

2 Weeks

Date:

Oct 2022

Team Size:

9 People

Duration:

2 Weeks

Date:

Oct 2022

UNITY

TRELLO

GITHUB

"You have taken it upon yourself to inspire people to take their bikes when getting around. Instead of their cars that pollutes the atmosphere of your hometown more and more."

"You have taken it upon yourself to inspire people to take their bikes when getting around. Instead of their cars that pollutes the atmosphere of your hometown more and more."

"You have taken it upon yourself to inspire people to take their bikes when getting around. Instead of their cars that pollutes the atmosphere of your hometown more and more."

Bike Mania Is A 3rd Person "Snake-Like" Game Where You Have The Freedom To Go Anywhere You Want, And I Mean Anywhere. Jump Upon Your Hometown's Rooftops While You Create A Great Tail Of Fellow Bikers That Will Get Longer And Longer As You Recruit More And More People.

The premises of the project

The premises of the project

We where given two major premises that would and have been the foundation of this project. Those premises were:

TARGET AUDIENCE

Kids between 10 to 12 years old.

THE THEME

Mobility of the future.

Story Time!

I pitched this idea to the group after that we had showed interest for doing something with bikes. I thought it was a good idea as it:

  • Had only two easy mechanincs to focus on. To give the chance of not over scopin.


  • It felt fun and unique


  • And most important, the programmers said it was possible from their side. Which was all I needed to hear for an ambitious two week project.


Gameplay Design

Design Document

Design Document

One big challenge I knew we were gonna have, was time. Two weeks goes fast, and we needed to be structured and clear with what we wanted in order to get it.

I jumped quickly in to making a design document for everyone to read, where I described and explained how they work, and for what purpose. I tried to be as abstract as possible so people could understand the concept as good as possible

Playing Around With Character Movement

Playing Around With Character Movement

Playing Around With Character Movement

The programmers quickly had a character movement script for me to play around with. I wanted to make it feel natural and like if you were actually on a bike. Although, the challenge was mostly to find movement that felt good when being on the ground, but also good when being on the rooftops.

The Ground

It has much more open space to work with and more forgiving. The player can really take out their turns and don't get punished for going fast.

The Rooftops

The space here is more narrow and a too strong of a turn will take the player down to the ground again. Here the controls needs to feel more responsive for the player to be more in control

Feedback, Action and Moving Forward

Feedback, Action and Moving Forward

Feedback, Action and Moving Forward

A feedback we got from our playtesters was being able to go straight backwards with the bike. In order to easely go back if they missed-timed when recruiting. At that time you needed to press forward in order to move forward. Otherwise you would stand still. Instead of giving them what they wanted I tried something else. I asked myself why I made it so you had to press forward so you could go forward, as it drags down the idea of trying to time well when recruiting. Still I'm wondering why I did it. The change was to simple make the player constantly go forward. One less button to press and after that, absolutely no one asked to to be able to go backwards. People subconsciously just accepted the rule of always moving forward.

I believe the movement of the player ended in a good state but do need some more polishing. Would try making it more easy for new players to find the right rhythm. As it can still be some of a challenge on the rooftops for someone who is new. Want the learning curve to be quick, so players can get the game's full experience on their first round. Not sometime during the second. Think it is an important goal as the targeted audience is kids. Kids tend to have less patience towards waiting on when the real fun begins.

Level Design

My Part

My Part

We were two people who acted as level designers. We divided it in so the other made the layout for the ground and the roads. I did the layout for all the paths for the rooftops, and all the spots to get up on them. We saw it like the ground was floor 1 and the rooftops floor 2.

My Wants and Not

My Wants and Not

My Wants and Not

What I wanted

As being able to jump up on top of the building is one of the main mechanics, and also very fun. I wanted to make the player have a reason to be on the rooftops by being somewhat generous with the amount of pick-ups where you recruit more people.

What I Not wanted

Although, I did not want to make it so all you need to do is to stay on the rooftops, find a good route and get a high amount of points every time you play the game. Points being recruited people. Each potential route of the rooftops had to either end with getting the player on the ground or have a longer part of it with no pick-ups.

Connecting Buildings By Disconnecting

Connecting Buildings By Disconnecting

I had both ramps (which makes the player jump up on rooftops) and planks to connect the buildings. The planks was there mostly so you did not have to use the ramps when you only wanted to get up on a small edge. However, they made people fall down and created a smudge of frustration. They became something you had to put much focus on for using, which they should not. Thought they became to much of an distraction and took them away. Only used the ramps and made them so you usually jump far. Jumping tend to be a lot of fun, and the higher the better, so people did not seemed to mind doing it.
Let the people jump!

I had both ramps (which makes the player jump up on rooftops) and planks to connect the buildings. The planks was there mostly so you did not have to use the ramps when you only wanted to get up on a small edge. However, they made people fall down and created a smudge of frustration. They became something you had to put much focus on for using, which they should not. Thought they became to much of an distraction and took them away. Only used the ramps and made them so you usually jump far. Jumping tend to be a lot of fun, and the higher the better, so people did not seemed to mind doing it.
Let the people jump!

I had both ramps (which makes the player jump up on rooftops) and planks to connect the buildings. The planks was there mostly so you did not have to use the ramps when you only wanted to get up on a small edge. However, they made people fall down and created a smudge of frustration. They became something you had to put much focus on for using, which they should not. Thought they became to much of an distraction and took them away. Only used the ramps and made them so you usually jump far. Jumping tend to be a lot of fun, and the higher the better, so people did not seemed to mind doing it.
Let the people jump!

Finishing Up!

Lastly I started to decorate the whole level, I also put out all the recruitment zones/pick-ups, even those on the ground. Planted out the moving cars and their routes, and of course placing the props to make the hometown feel nice and cosy. The dressing was made by me and one artist.

Lastly I started to decorate the whole level, I also put out all the recruitment zones/pick-ups, even those on the ground. Planted out the moving cars and their routes, and of course placing the props to make the hometown feel nice and cosy. The dressing was made by me and one artist.

From Start To Finish

From Start To Finish

The pictures below is a quick overview of the whole process. Bike Mania is one of my favourites of all the finished games, or prototypes I have worked on. It definitely needs some more work if continuing on it, but I am very happy and proud what me and my team manage to do in two weeks. What I like most about the game is its simple, yet fun mechanics that works for kids but also brings out every ones inner child. Which is when looking how long tail of bikers that follows your every move, and when you just fly up in the air and jump between the buildings. Simple, yet effective.