Project details

Team size: Solo project
Engine: Unity
Time span: Side project over a few months

Short description

BoulderBuddy is an endless, arcade style game. You kick around a boulder to attack enemies and try to survive for as long as possible. Completing different challenges allows you to extend your run with power-ups!

Game link

Here is a link to the games itch.io page where you can play the game:
itch.io/boulderbuddy

Boulder

What can the boulder do?

  • Kicked in any direction

  • Kills enemies on hit

Boulder design:

  • Offensive ability

  • When kicked, player becomes vulnerable as their only weapon is now far away

  • Can be charged for extra control

Having no other defensive ability creates a dynamic of players having to choose when to kick the boulder.

Challenges

Through out the game, you can complete challenges.Examples of challenges:

  • Kill X amount of enemies

  • Survive X amount of rounds

  • Roll X amount of times

  • Bounce the boulder X amount of times

  • Survive X seconds without touching the boulder

Theses challenges gives a random powerup when completed. This helps extend runs.

Arena changes

When completing a wave, there is a chance for the arena to change. This creates new and refreshing gameplay. All arenas have different walls and gameplay tactics, meaning players need to get creative with how to bounce the boulder.(Odds to switch are higher in the video)

Color pallet

The color pallet for this project was chosen to lower time spent on art. This was successful though it brought another problem, visibility and readability. Using a color pallet like this means that everything looks very similar and removes the option to use color to distinguish between things.To solve this problem I have focused on silhouettes. Enemies have a distinctly different shape to the player character. Outlines also play a big part in this. Using both dark and bright outlines means that whatever the color is beneath, the outline will still stand out.

Roll

How does it work?

  • Short cooldown

  • Avoids all damage

  • Roll in movement direction

Why is the roll necessary?

  • Gives player an easier time avoiding enemies

  • Removes possibility to get stuck in-between enemies