GROUP ORIGINAL VIDEO GAME
"Go Stumpy!" is a fun and exciting 2D platformer where you play as an anthropomorphic tree named Stumpy on a quest to defeat the evil Grand Tree. Traverse through various levels, absorbing enemies to gain their abilities and aid in your quest. But beware! These enemies are determined to end your journey and will stop at nothing to see Stumpy fail. Do you have what it takes to end the Grand Tree's reign of terror and restore peace to the Forest? Or will be bested by the Grand Tree's Jumpies and Speedies?
The mechanics of the game are made to be reminiscent of classic 2D platformers, namely Kirby. The clear inspirations from Kirby shaped much of the core of what makes "Go Stumpy!". However, we made sure to take our own spin on the style, most notably in the design of the characters and the music. The eerie and evil feeling from the enemies creates a sense of real danger in the game and makes the player second-guess their every step. To save from some tension, the music aims to create a sense of homeliness, reminding the player Stumpy is fighting for his home.
WHAT I DID
I was responsible for all the code in this game, building it entirely from scratch. I also assisted with much of the design, such as co-creating the boss level, setting up all the animations, composing the music, and assisting in the creation of the pause menu, options menu, and in-game UI. I also served as Project Lead, ensuring all deadlines were met and that our Git Repository was properly handled. Our assignment was to take a classic 2D game and create a version with our own spin on it. We had a week and a half to create the game and worked diligently to ensure the best product in that timeframe.
I took many creative liberties with this project, from the way the abilities worked and the way the enemies behaved to the boss fight and camera movements. I believe the slow camera and camera zooms were a nice touch and really gave each level a unique feel. I also knew that the abilities could get overpowered if not properly balanced, so I worked with the main level designer to ensure no level was totally conducive to just flying over, implementing death pits throughout the map and shrinking the camera size. This, along with the slowed camera, forces players to consider each move more carefully. When I designed the boss level, it was important that both over-adjusting horizontally and vertically would be detrimental. This is also why I decided to make Stumpy's movement so fluid, to add to the challenge.
Credit: Project Lead, Programmer, Co-Designer, Animator, Composer: Gavin Schmidt Background Artist, Environmental Artist: Francisco Galves Sprite Artist: Olin Britt-Torres Boss Level Co-Designer, Co-Designer: Evan Neafsey Main Level Designer, Lead UI Designer, Co-Designer: Wesley Yates