Mountaineer: and the Infinite Mountain is a 2D action endless climbing game where the player must strive to climb as high as they can. They move around going ever higher while avoiding boulders, leaping over gaps, and quickly climbing over falling rocks.
Summary
This project was developed as a side project while I was in University. I developed all facets of this game. From the art to the gameplay and UX. I designed a random tile generator to keep a consistent path up, but allowed for new experiences all the way throughout the game.
In Depth
Role
This game was one that was solely developed by myself. I wore every hat for this project which was a cool opportunity because it let me see where my skills could take me. I also learned a lot about scripting, design, and self motivation while doing this since this was a side project while I was in school.
Publishing
This game was published on iOS for both iPad and iPhone for free.
Game Framework
Everything in this game was scripted by me. From the back end systems, to the player controls, to the UI and menus. Everything was scripted in C# using the game engine Unity.
Game Timeline
The game was completed within 3 months.
Gameplay Design
I designed the player controller and movement skills to accent the quick gameplay of Mountaineer.
The player can move in four directions, but can also vault for faster traversal. There are also boulders that will spawn that will challenge the player to move around.
There were also 2 game modes developed for Mountaineer. There is a more casual mode for those who are learning the game and there is a frenzy mode for those who think the first mode is to slow.
System Design
I created a system that generates the next line of tiles solely based on the line beneath it. There are no seeds, but the system will always provide a way up by making sure that a climbable surface is spawned above a possible path.
I designed the reward system to reward those who climb higher and take risks. The higher you climb the more coins you receive. Coins are also spread amongst the mountain that players may opt for to get more coins, but these may be in perilous situations.
UI/UX Design
I designed the UI to be the most comfortable position for as many people as possible. To accomplish this, I play tested with lots of people, both casual and not, and came to the conclusion of adjustable controls. The controls most people enjoyed were either towards the bottom of the screen, and the middle. This option is available in the settings as well as options for toggling sound and music on and off.
There were also PFI enhancements such as the caution signs to warn players of falling boulders. There was also the height indicator to help players access how close they are to breaking their high score.
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