Prototypes
Written on October 2nd , 2023 by Jake Wylykanowitz
A collection of experimental prototypes made in week-long sprints.
On each of these projects, I collaborated with one other designer. Primarily relying on 2D, representational geometry, we were tasked with creating experimental, engaging games in Unity.
RocketCrash - Gamefeel
An interactable physics toy version of Asteroids where the player can crash into and destroy asteroids if they are moving fast enough.
I worked with another student who was new to Unity, so we intentionally kept the scope limited to focus on making the simple mechanics of destruction and physics-based movement feel as good as possible.
Cranetastrophe - Theme
A construction-style building puzzle game that asks the question: “What if construction cranes were as reliable as arcade cranes?”
I wanted to lean into the chaos of the concept, intentionally letting physics run wild as players attempted to build as tall of a building as possible.
Ghostlight - Control
A one-button dexterity-style arcade game where you play as a magic flashlight trying to get rid of ghosts while avoiding hitting any humans nearby.
Our challenge was to make a game that only required one button to be playable from start to finish. I was interested in the sensory feeling of flicking on a flashlight or power switch, so we aimed to make toggling a light on and off an engaging dexterity challenge.
CashOut - Balance/Feedback Loops
An endless runner fused with push your luck mechanics, where each coin increases your potential score when you reach a bank, but also reduces your jump height.
Push your luck is a mechanic frequently seen in board games, but is relatively rare when it comes to video games. By merging it with an endless runner, I wanted to emphasize replayability by directly correlating risk with achieving a higher score.
Depth Reflection - Difficulty
A mind-bending puzzle game where the player must reflect a laser to activate prisms in each level. The catch? Some elements are in the foreground!
We were tasked with making a game that had difficulty implemented via obfuscation. We wanted to take the idea of light-bending puzzles and elevate it. The player is a primitive capsule in 2D Space, so the object’s reflectivity is much more unpredictable compared to something like a cube or flat object. Realizing we could reflect the laser into the foreground, I took it upon myself to create levels that would require the player to master positioning in order to light the prisms in each level to proceed.
