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-DESPEARATE- Devlog

A topic by AlbertoPortero created Oct 01, 2019 Views: 353 Replies: 6
Viewing posts 1 to 6
(2 edits)

Hi all, I'm Alberto and I'm gonna be doing the Devtober 2019 with Despearate. It's a puzzle platformer game in which I have been working for a week. It's a University porject and, if  everything goes well, the Game will be published at itch.io  by June 2020. My goal of this Devtober is to have, a solid prototype by the end of the month and keep polishing from there.

1st week (Last week):

  • I came with the idea of a puzzle platformer game where you need to throw spears and use them to get throw the level. 
  • I did the early prototype to check if the game was fun and interesting (I love making prototpes and trying new ideas).
  • I implemented the core mechanics like jumping,  throwing spears and jumping in them.
  • I implemented environmental mechanics like doors, buttons, and obstacles to interact with player and spears.
  • I made a few levels for playtesting with friends.




Day 1 of Devtober:

  • This week I will going to focus in finding the feel I want for this game so I searched some assets and tryed them.
  • I think I want this game to be full of colors, appeling to the eye and relatively simple so the player can focus on thinking the solution of the puzzles.
  • I've learned from other great platformers to make interactable things so I added some mushrooms and flowers  to interact with the player.
  • I also added a camnera shake when doors close or open and I think it was good idea, now is a lot more noticeable when doors close/open.
  • Here's a video of my current progress (Sorry about Pennywise background music, didn't notice )

Feel free to tell me your impressions about it , feedback is apreciated :D

2nd Day:

I was tired today but I managed to do some stuff:

  • I'm trying to find out what graphic style should has this game so I added some more downloaded assets.
  • I added some visuals and animations to the player and now feels much better.
  • I changed my jump to be like the Mario jump, that jumps higher if the button is held.
  • I also implemented the "Coyote time" so the player can jump when he just letft the platform.
  • Also added some background that moves when the camera does.

Trying not to go crazy adding mechanics so I'm focusing in the game feel for now.

Maybe I make a build for playtesting with a few levels (and a survey ¬¬) by the end of the week if someone wants to play.

Feedback appreciated :)

P.S. All of this is WIP, the sprites are not definitive 

3rd Day:

  • I added more particles here and there (it's never enough) and animations to the spears;
  •  I decided to change the way the player throws the spears and made that the player needs to hold the button a bit to throw a spear;
  •  I added a system of feedback to show to the player where he is aiming and where the spear will go when he releases the button. This was a bit of learning and thinking how to do it, but it was worth it. I think, with this feedback and the sounds effects is going to be enough for the player to understand easily how the spears work;

Still focusing on the feel and clean feedback;

are the sprite made by you?

Nope, I'm using downloaded sprites that fit with the look and feel i want for this game. 

I will change all the sprites when I have an artist :D.

4th Day:

  • I needed to take a break and didn't worked too much today.
  • I added a visual feedback for the spears adding a backpack where the spears appears or disappears when the player throws one.
  • I keep adding particles and I feel is yet not enough particles in there.

Bonus: 

This is how my "GDD" looks like, I like to keep it real


5th and 6th Day:

  • I keep polishing what I have by now, not adding more mechanics.
  • I added some more sprites and effects.
  • Also added a "forgiving" system to the jump of the player and now if the player jumps in the air but near the ground, when he touches the  ground, he will jump automatically. 
  • I thik with the "Coyote time" and this (I call it early jump, I don't know if there is a name for this), the jump feels way better than before.

There are some problems with the animations I hope to fix soon.