Alex MacDonald
Game/Level Designer
Chipp: A Sub-Par Adventure
Project Type
University year long final project/full game
Date
September 2022 - April 2023
Role
Level/Game/Sound Designer
Link
An adventure RPG with the unique controls and physics of Mini-putt, where you explore, solve puzzles, and fight enemies.
Check out some of my process work below!
Here I am, getting some feedback!
One of our playtest stations. The game is designed for both mobile and PC.
Combat System Dev Log
Here are some relevant pics.
My team's station at Level Up 2023!
Process Work
Getting Started
The team and I started by writing out our preliminary documentation. This included a project plan, risk management plan, and a team charter. This got the whole team on the same page, gave us something to refer back to in any event, and helped us begin scoping.
​
Having some previous experience writing these sorts of documents already, I was able to help define many of the categories and layout the required information.
Team Charter + Risk Management
Project Plan
The next step was designing the proof of concept.
Since I am working with multiple other level designers, I proposed a plan to divide the work amongst ourselves. We divided the level up by number of rooms and assigned an equal amount to each designer. Each designer has a quadrant in Unity to build in. We started listing the metrics of the level as to stay consistent across our work.
Test, test test.
Once the greyboxing was done and some more tweaks, the first major build was completed. I got as many playtesters as I could, started taking notes, and generating data. This gave me a clear direction to move towards.
Preparing the Minimum Viable Product
After some feedback from our proof of concept, I got to work on developing a new level for our minimum viable product. After some quick concepting, I started greyboxing.
Big Design Changes!
After some important feedback on our game's state from peers and many talented developers (thanks Sleeping Giant!), I decided to pivot part of the game's design to strike a better balance between RPG and golf elements.
Back to concepting!
With new goals in mind, I started fleshing out the plans for the new systems and levels that needed to be added. I started by creating quick mockups for a tutorial section to add onto our current dungeon and a demo level that was ideal for quick playthroughs that touched on our core mechanics.
Next I fleshed out a new combat system that would be a substantial improvement over the current system. I ensured the system blended well with the other core systems and wove them together
Logging my thinking.
During my work on the combat system, I wrote a dev log chronicling my process as well as my thoughts during the process. I will include an attachment to it here if you are interested in reading it. It helped me think out loud about my work and reflect on what I learned throughout its creation.
​
Downloadable PDF
Coming soon...
After attending LevelUp and XP Summit 2023 I have a lot to think about for the game and will continue to work on it into the future with the goal of shipping the game.