Dyscharged
A 2.5d adventure rpg
Scarce, desolate and isolating, the permafrost of nuclear winter is relentless for a lone traveler. A storm in The Wastes causes a lightning bolt to strike an abandoned scrapyard, bringing a brief life to its robotic inhabitants. One of these inhabitants, Probot, awakens with no recollection of how he got here. As the spark of life brought by the storm begins to wear off, the bots begin to fight over the energy required to stay online. Probot must survive this newfound danger, and make his way out of The Wastes.
Engine -- Unreal Engine
Studio -- Scrap Metal Studios
Team size -- 12 Core Members
Role -- Game Design Integrator
Duration -- 1 Year
Release -- Itch.io
Gameplay and Level Design:
Designing, implementing, prototyping, and balancing critical gameplay features and tools in collaboration with other members of the gameplay team.
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Level Design
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Level Blockout
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Environmental Storytelling
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Puzzle & Challenge Design
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Game Design Documentation
Game Integration:
Collaborated with members of the art and gameplay teams to fully integrate game design elements into the development process, ensuring that gameplay, systems, user experience, and features function together cohesively.
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Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
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System and Feature Integration
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Content Integration
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User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Integration
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Game Engine Optimization
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Balancing and Tuning
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Quality Assurance and Playtesting
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Prototyping and Iteration
Role(s) and Responsibilities
Design Process
Brainstorming
Objective
Generate initial ideas and establish the vision of the game or level.
Process
Ideate possible themes, locations, visual styles, gameplay mechanics, etc. until a cohesive vision is narrowed down. Then find reference images and material to inform those design choices moving forward.
Paper Design
Objective
Translate ideas into a formal design plan either on paper or digitally.
Process
Create top-down sketches or diagrams, mapping out layouts, key features (e.g., spawn points, enemies, etc.), and flow, while considering mechanics, scale, and balance to form a detailed blueprint.
Blockout
Objective
Build a rough playable prototype to test the design's fuctionality.
Process
Use basic shapes and design tools in engine (Unreal 5) to construct the layout, test movement, mechanics, and basic visuals firsthand. Then iterate based on early feedback to refine the core structure.
Playtesting and Iteration
Objective
Polish the design through real-world testing.
Process
Playtest to assess function and design. Adjust gameplay, geometry, mechanics, etc. interatively based on results.
Final Details and Art Pass
Objective
Polish gameplay and design while adding final assets and visuals in order to be shipped.
Process
Collaborate with artists and designers to add final textures, lighting, props, etc. Make final adjustments to gameplay and design. Ship completed project to the market.