Scrapped
Greenlit on Steam â—¦ 3D platformer â—¦ 15-person team â—¦ Unreal Engine 4.8.1 â—¦ 5 months â—¦ 2015
Role on Project: Level Designer
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Level Design
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Iterated on challenge design to push the boundaries of unique magnetism-based mechanics.
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​Designed large-scale levels, facilitating player freedom and mobile gameplay.
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Placed a large emphasis on making environmental visuals compliment and assist gameplay.
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Environments
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Worked heavily on environmental design; asset placement, clutter, lighting, terrain, and decals.
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Cooperated with art department to establish asset set needed for the game world.
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​Scripting - Scripted and set up level streams to create a seamless experience with no loading screens.
Game Summary
Scrapped focuses on utilizing magnetism-based mechanics to reward discovery and experimentation. The player controls the naïve robot, C23, exploring and making their way through a dangerous and strange scrapyard environment. In each level, players must evaluate their surroundings, determine their preferred pathway, and reactively jump, attract, and repel to their intended destination. Throughout their route, players encounter environmental hazards, one-step solution puzzles, and skill-based challenges.
The player uses magnetic powers to push and pull through the world
The levels are linear with open paths that encourage player freedom
The time of day subtly changes from the beginning to ending of the game
The player uses magnetic powers to push and pull through the world
Pillars
Fun Emergent Gameplay. Use simple mechanics that encourage and reward discovery and experimentation.
Personality-Driven Character. Create a distinct robotic character that embodies a sense of curiosity and naiveté.
Compelling Environments. Develop an imposing scrapyard environment that is visually engaging and immersive.
Mini Post-Mortem
What Went Well
+ Agile team that demonstrated high efficiency and fluidity in development
+ Nailed milestones time and again through strong interdepartmental efforts
+ A lot of testing and iteration led to polished systems and gameplay
What Went Wrong
- Team had trouble finding its feet in the first month of development
- Underestimated systems ended up being somewhat out of scope
- Unique visual theme led to huge time sinks in environmental construction
What Was Learned
? Larger teams can become unwieldy without proper cross-discipline planning
? A feature won't flourish if no one on the team is passionate about it
? It is very difficult to design and iterate on unique gameplay with a small project
Full Game Play-Through (14:55)