My first game created for the PICO-8 fantasy console, and also my first independently developed game overall. After many abandoned projects, I took the time to try to reduce the scope of my endeavors, stripping down games into much more manageable ideas that could be developed in my free time.
Special thanks to my wife Rebekah, who wrote the original tune featured in the game and refreshed me on some of my forgotten 6th grade mathematics. Read the full Post-Mortem here.
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Role: Game Designer, Programmer, Pixel Artist
Organization: Independent
Tools: PICO-8, Lua
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Earlier concepts of Breakdown involved a standard scoreboard similar to what might have been found in most arcade games; a numbered table representing "placement" that included a 3-letter initial of the player followed by their score. However, in an attempt to scope downward and complete the game on time, I settled for a single "top score" that would be stored between play-sessions, with the player's current score displayed opposite of it on screen. Having this stripped-down scoring system sharing the same screen space as the rest of the game actually seemed to assist in player retention, as they had immediate feedback as to whether they were close to beating a single score, and assisted in creating an easily readable and understood system.
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While I had worked on a few prototypes in the past, this was the first project to be a comprehensive experience that included not only gameplay, but artwork and music as well. This was largely encouraged simply due to the nature of the engine that Breakdown was made in: PICO-8.
PICO-8 is a fantasy console, a bit of software that is meant to emulate the limitations of the older-generations of consoles. Fantasy consoles typically feature their own in-engine code, sprite, sound, and music editors, all of which is compiled into a single file (or "cartridge") that the console reads from. As I have little to no experience as an artist, musician, or audio designer, having these limited yet easy-to-use tools available encouraged me to put all of the visual and auditory elements together into a cohesive gaming experience. While I designed and programmed the game, I also developed the (albeit minimal) art and animations, sound effects, and transcribed a music composition my wife had written into the game.
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jonathanrcwest@gmail.com
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