Buster Rackon (2022)
About
This game is made during a short game jam at Södertörns University.
A very small game about a racoon that helps a sad girl. You collect differnt colored crayons that colores the world.
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We won 3 awards out of four. Best design, best game and best idea.
Project info
Teamsize: 3
Duration: 3 Days
Engine: Unity
Role: Programmer
Genre: Cozy
Platform: PC
Introduction
The theme of our project centered around contrast, leading us to develop a game titled "Coloring the World." Initially, the game world is presented in black and white. As players collect crayons, they gradually restore color to their surroundings. Additionally, players maintain a photo album that displays images indicating the locations of different crayons. Upon acquiring a crayon, the corresponding image transitions to a colored version.
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I handled all aspects of the programming for this game, with the exception of the player controller, which utilizes Invector's free third-person controller. I also contributed to the level design. Given the limited timeframe of the game jam, I wasn't able to refine the level design to the extent I desired, but I was pleased with the final outcome.
This project marked my first experience as a solo programmer, and I gained valuable insights throughout this short yet enriching process.
Programming
I implemented a straightforward system for this project, as I was relatively new to programming at the time. I created an array to hold all the meshes that required material changes. Depending on the crayon collected by the player, the system updates all the meshes in the array to the corresponding colored material. I utilized static booleans to track which crayon had been picked up, enabling the functionality to change materials based on the active boolean.
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While this approach effectively addressed the needs of a small game jam project, I would opt for Unity Events to manage this functionality if I were to undertake a similar task today.
Despite the limited scope of the game jam, I aimed to include both a start menu and a pause menu. I achieved this by incorporating simple animations for the buttons. The start menu features options for starting the game, quitting, and viewing credits, while the pause menu includes buttons for returning to the main menu, quitting, and accessing credits. Additionally, the start menu showcases a rendering of our character performing a humorous dancing animation sourced from Mixamo.
Level Design
The level design was created with a limited scope due to time constraints. I began by establishing the outer walls to define the boundaries of the map. Next, I incorporated the roadways, followed by the development of the city, which includes green spaces and vehicles. Although the design process was not as detailed as I would have preferred, it effectively serves the needs of the game.
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Next, I incorporated a playground, accompanied by a treehouse, and a parking lot on the opposite side. One of the artists contributed additional assets to enhance the level's detail, including a pond and a hot dog stand. These elements helped create a more immersive environment for players.
What I learned
I learned to independently solve problems and seek solutions through Unity's documentation, as well as through trial and error. Being the sole programmer was a rewarding and novel experience, allowing me to plan and execute all programming aspects on my own.
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This was my first game jam, and with a time frame of only three days, I quickly learned how to implement functionality efficiently. While I didn’t have the opportunity to find the optimal solution for every challenge, I gained confidence in my ability to deliver results within a tight deadline.
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Although the code could certainly be improved, I take pride in what I accomplished given my level of experience at the time. My code was well-structured and included comments, ensuring clarity and organization. I’m pleased that I dedicated time to maintain this structure, as it will facilitate any future refactoring. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating this game.