Relocator | 2012

  • Puzzle Game
  • Try to get your golden boxes to the green landing zone
  • Destroy blue platforms, move purple Spheres and throw objects
  • Team Responsibilities: Everything
  • Team size one, Junior Year
Relocator is a 2.5D physics puzzle game where the goal is simple, but your agency is limited.  All you have to do is move you Golden Boxes from one point to the green platform - but all you can do at first is destroy blue blocks by clicking on them.  Eventually you can 'throw' boxes by timing how you destroy chains they're swinging on, and move around 'Heavy Spheres' - purple spheres that are, as the name implies, disproportionately heavy for their size.  By manipulating the environment and timing yourself just right you can find victory.  If you die too often the game will give you a hint.

Relocator was developed using DigiPen's Zero Engine in Python by myself in four weeks.  Copyright DigiPen USA Corporation, 2012.  All rights reserved.

What went right:

  • Relocator was the perfect scope for a 4 week school project.  The core mechanic was simple enough to implement I could focus most of my time on polish and refining the content
  • I built a level hierarchy that made it super easy to switch level order and add new levels.  Iteration was really fast as a result

What went wrong:

  • The levels initially had two themes: either building or timing based puzzles.  It led to a disconnect between levels, where players would get into one mindset but then suddenly have to switch to a different way of thinking.  I ultimately had to cut all the building levels so the game would flow properly.  Which sucked, because some of them were really cool.
  • I feel Relocator overall has a fine intensity curve, until the end.  The final puzzle doesn't feel like a finisher, or the most challenging obstacle.  The ending is weak, and I ran out of time to make it better.

What I learned:

  • When you have limited time, it's generally better to go for something simple than something novel.  While you may want to test your new ideas you very often won't have time for polishing
  • Doing something right from a technical standpoint can cost you more time up front but save you much more time later
  • Polish is really important to making a game something people would want to play.  I've made several games by myself: this is one if the few people would request to play test.
You can download Relocator here.  It should take about 20 minutes max to play.
daniel_regan_puzzle_relocator.exe
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File Type: exe
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