Mostly Harmless
Role: Team Leader/Level Designer
Project Length: 2 months
Developers: 4
Engine: TorqueX 2D
Project Length: 2 months
Developers: 4
Engine: TorqueX 2D
Gamplay Video
(I was responsible for designing and creating each of the levels featured in the above video)
Game Details
Mostly Harmless was a two month long game project in which the four developers used a 2D engine in TorqueX with limited starter code during the curriculum at the Guildhall at SMU. The project reached the release to manufacture stage and won Best Game Overall (out of nine games) as voted by peers. The game features twelve levels with thirty to forty-five minutes of gameplay.
Mostly Harmless is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer in which the player controls one egg-like character called a spawnling that is automatically followed by other smaller spawnling characters. The spawnlings traverse dangerous cliffs, lava, and water on the way to the safety of caves at the end of each level. Enemies also try to kill the spawnlings and include poisonous plants, acid-spitting trees, giant stomping feet, liquid-dwelling monsters, and hungry egg-eating plants. In addition to controling the spawnlings, the player also has the ability to drop "bloxes" from the sky to help the spawnlings reach safety. The player has a limited number of bloxes to drop (varies per level) and the types of bloxes include a long skinny plank, a left-angled rhombus, a right-angled rhombus, a pillow that safely catches the spawnlings, and a bomb that reclaims previously dropped bloxes. Each level requires that a certain amount of spawnlings enter the cave and the player loses if too many spawnlings die.
Mostly Harmless is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer in which the player controls one egg-like character called a spawnling that is automatically followed by other smaller spawnling characters. The spawnlings traverse dangerous cliffs, lava, and water on the way to the safety of caves at the end of each level. Enemies also try to kill the spawnlings and include poisonous plants, acid-spitting trees, giant stomping feet, liquid-dwelling monsters, and hungry egg-eating plants. In addition to controling the spawnlings, the player also has the ability to drop "bloxes" from the sky to help the spawnlings reach safety. The player has a limited number of bloxes to drop (varies per level) and the types of bloxes include a long skinny plank, a left-angled rhombus, a right-angled rhombus, a pillow that safely catches the spawnlings, and a bomb that reclaims previously dropped bloxes. Each level requires that a certain amount of spawnlings enter the cave and the player loses if too many spawnlings die.
Roles and Responsibilities
For this project I was one of two level designers who were directly involved in creating the twelve full levels featured in the game. My roles for the project were as follows:
- Maintain and help write the Game Design Document and Level Design Documents
- Design and implement the eight mini-tutorial levels
- Design and implement three full levels
- Supervise and lead the four person team
- Maintain proper communication between producers and developers
