First project: static scene
Second project: physics scene
Final project: narrative-driven escape room adventure
First project: static scene
Getting started with
game engines
Code Coven - Intro to Game Making
During Code Coven's 'Introduction to Game Making' course, I learned how to implement my ideas and concepts using the 'Unity' game engine and create prototypes of my own games.
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Tasks
game design, narrative design,
coding, level design, sound design
Learning
Unity
Starting with the first assignment, which was about creating a static scene ('Ocean Scene') with simple shapes and playing with materials, particles and shadows, the following projects got more challenging continuosly.
The second assignment ('Carl the spider') also included physics, using rigidbodies, gravity and forces. The scene shows a little spider accidentally knocking over all the books while trying to consult the crystal ball.
The third project ('New Planet') was about modifying and 'fixing' an existing 2d platformer using scripts and research. I also worked a bit on the narrative design and added some new features like floating coins and a parallax background.
Final
Project
In the final project I was able to apply all my learned knowledge and created an enjoyable little game with my teampartner.
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'Rekindle Light' is a narrative driven escape room game where players explore a remote lighthouse, solving puzzles and interacting with objects to progress. The main goal is to figure out the code which will unlock the door - feel free to give it a try on itch.io.
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The story is about a lighthouse keeper who receives a letter from their daughter. As the player navigate the lighthouse's rooms, they uncover the history between father and daughter. The game explores themes of family , isolation and forgiveness , guiding players on a journey to 'rekindle' the lost bond with the daughter.
Regarding the engine the game uses the first person template, which already has input detection and player controls. For interacting with objects I mainly used the raycast function, to which I added various functions like highlighting objects with different particle systems, playing sounds, using text from a list and also showing several UI elements like the textbox, images and an input field to unlock the door in the end.
Biggest
takeaways
I have learned to bring my concepts to life thanks to Code Coven and Unity’s many possibilities. Although I still have a lot to learn, I am now able to turn my ideas into prototypes, which I am very proud of. I have also been able to gain further experience in teamwork practices and managed to finish a project completely in english for the first time. I look forward to gaining more experience in working with game engines and participating in interesting projects of all kinds.