Challenges

Billy Saves the World

Being the team member that was mainly responsible for using the Two Front Level Editor, all obstacles were required to be addressed personally.

Alternate Paths Challenge Significant issues emerged with both the animations and combat mechanics for the giant arachnid encounter. Troubleshooting efforts failed to resolve the core problems, leading to a complete rework of the boss battle in

Alternate Paths

Challenge

Significant issues emerged with both the animations and combat mechanics for the giant arachnid encounter. Troubleshooting efforts failed to resolve the core problems, leading to a complete rework of the boss battle into an event driven entirely by dialogue trees. The transition posed additional hardships, including the use of two incompatible spider assets. One supported animations without dialogue, while the other was the complete opposite. Each path concluded with the creature being destroyed by a fireball, though one route involved an additional underground level that also needed to be built from scratch. The objective was to integrate all these components into a smooth and cohesive sequence. Please look at the drawing above to see a rough example of the overall longer player route, which has been highlighted in purple.

Action

The structure was planned on paper to account for branching narrative paths in a flowchart. It outlined a system in which antagonizing the spider through poor dialogue choices resulted in the player being knocked off a cliff into the underground stage. This was managed through a counter that tracked negative responses, triggering the fall once a threshold was reached. Switching between the two spider assets was required at various points, depending on whether animations or dialogue were needed. The underground level consisted of a platforming sequence where players navigated across disappearing tiles, some of which were false and triggered a fall upon collision. Area triggers were used to briefly disable all platforms, forcing a restart of the sequence. Upon successful navigation, an elevator returned the player to the upper level where a button activated the fireball to eliminate the boss.

Result

Replacing the original encounter with a branching dialogue system created a more stable and narrative-driven experience. Although the revised sequence took longer to complete, it introduced a hidden level that rewarded exploration. Playtesters found the outcome satisfying, particularly when unlocking the alternate path, which added a sense of discovery and depth to the overall design.

Invader Battles Challenge Due to limited development capacity and a compressed timeline, the original plan for varied boss encounters had to be scaled back. The objective became finding a way to reuse a single Space Invaders encounter across

Invader Battles

Challenge

Due to limited development capacity and a compressed timeline, the original plan for varied boss encounters had to be scaled back. The objective became finding a way to reuse a single Space Invaders encounter across multiple sections of the game while ensuring that each one felt distinct and engaging.

Action

Several attack variations were experimented, including a mechanic where the boss characters, Bleep and Bloop, teleported rapidly across the ground to damage the player. However, playtesting feedback indicated that this approach created excessive mental strain, especially for those more interested in the story. A simpler solution was implemented. Each boss encounter was divided into three rounds, with enemy speed increasing slightly each time to create a gentle difficulty curve. Between rounds, gameplay paused briefly for the characters to exchange comedic dialogue.

Result

The revised structure struck a balance between gameplay and storytelling. Breaking the action into rounds created natural pacing that supported both gameplay and humour. Playtesters responded positively to the adjusted difficulty, noting that the dialogue between Bleep and Bloop became a highlight, adding charm and personality to the experience.

Proprietary Editor Challenge Developing for a game built on a custom software platform required adapting to an unfamiliar ecosystem. The available user manual offered limited help due to outdated content, and much of the original team responsib

Proprietary Editor

Challenge

Developing for a game built on a custom software platform required adapting to an unfamiliar ecosystem. The available user manual offered limited help due to outdated content, and much of the original team responsible for its creation was no longer with the company. The initial challenge was to gain a clear understanding of the editor’s tools and structure in order to begin level creation.

Action

Interface exploration was essential for identifying tool locations and functions. Screenshots were taken and labelled to track components and navigation points. Trial and error played a large role in understanding the workflow. Mock levels were assembled using existing assets to observe tool behaviour. As proficiency increased, custom prefabs with tailored modifiers were created and tested in new environments to explore possibilities for more engaging map layouts.

Result

Repeated hands-on use of the software led to a deeper understanding of its capabilities. Well-organized notes served as reliable references for completing specific tasks efficiently. Once fluency with the system was established, knowledge-sharing became a focus, leading to an active role in onboarding new team members and supporting their learning process.

Reusing Assets in Creative Ways Challenge With backend programmers occupied by other priorities, the task of designing a puzzle using the force push mechanic had to be completed entirely within the editor, which provided limited options for con

Reusing Assets in Creative Ways

Challenge

With backend programmers occupied by other priorities, the task of designing a puzzle using the force push mechanic had to be completed entirely within the editor, which provided limited options for controlling special abilities. The intended solution required activating a switch using a force push to unlock a prison cell.

Action

Creative problem-solving was essential to build a functional puzzle under these constraints. The only interactable object responsive to a force push was a snowman’s head. This object, along with its supporting platform, was made invisible and placed near the switch. An area trigger was positioned directly beneath it, allowing the head to fall when pushed. Upon collision, a logic event was triggered to release the locked cell door.

Result

After several adjustments to the snowman head’s placement, the setup consistently achieved the intended effect. Extensive testing confirmed the puzzle was both functional and fair. By handling the mechanic entirely through editor logic, backend resources remained uninterrupted and overall progress stayed on track.

Simulation Bonus Game Challenge Designing a standalone minigame using only pre-existing assets was a demanding task, especially within a short timeframe. The goal was to plan, construct, and test a playable sequence resembling a computer simula

Simulation Bonus Game

Challenge

Designing a standalone minigame using only pre-existing assets was a demanding task, especially within a short timeframe. The goal was to plan, construct, and test a playable sequence resembling a computer simulation using an editor with limited support for complex mechanics.

Action

An evaluation of the editor's strengths and limitations helped shape the design direction. Grid-based placement worked well, much like Super Mario Maker, which inspired the use of simple blocky structures reminiscent of early eight-bit games. Since fluid motion proved difficult to achieve, asset transitions were stylized to glitch between positions, emulating the look of Game & Watch handhelds. A gameplay concept was drafted around defending against falling meteorites by moving between gun turrets. Once finalized, the level was built using basic white shapes later coloured purple to simulate a digital environment. Mechanics were then implemented through logic scripting, followed by extensive playtesting from multiple perspectives to refine clarity and pacing.

Result

The final version received strong praise from the director, who regarded it as one of more polished segments of the game. By challenging players to reverse direction under pressure rather than move linearly, familiar mechanics such as running and sliding were given new life. The visual theme also resonated, offering a stylized throwback to the charm of retro video games.

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