Overview

Welcome to 'Circus Fruit Show,' a physics-based, chaotic, and fun platformer featuring a little Papaya mime trying to escape from the circus.

At the beginning of the project, we established clear game pillars and a core gameplay loop early on. This approach facilitated a shared understanding and consensus within the team. We used 'Super Monkey Ball' as a reference, enabling us to assess potential strengths and challenges throughout the development process.

Challenges

During the development of 'Circus Fruit Show,' we encountered two key decisions that significantly shaped the game's mechanics and design:

  1. The initial base a puzzle platformer where players would tilt the environment to move forward. However, after prototype iterations, we recognized the need for a more dynamic approach. Collaborating closely with a programmer, I proposed giving the player more control over the character, focusing on torque and acceleration for movement. After further prototyping and iterations, we adapted this approach, allowing players greater control over the character, while the camera's movement still creates the 'illusion' of tilting the level.

  2. Additionally, for the level design, I suggested moving beyond puzzle platformer elements and incorporating race-track design elements along with some physics-based platform challenges. This combination not only enhanced the gameplay experience but also distinguished our game from others that used the same base idea. The physics-based approach led to more amusing accidents, increasing replayability.

Responsibilities

After the pre-production phase, I served as a technical level designer within the team, where I developed procedural generation tools that made enhancements to the level design process and improved the overall gameplay experience. On the Level side, I shaped the iteration of the second level. This meant taking it from its basic blockout stage to the final touches in set dressing. It was all about paying attention to the small details and making sure everything fit together well, both artistically and in terms of how it played.

 

 

To highlight our accomplishments, the game received both the Industry Audience Award and the Best Programming Award of the year at Breda University of Applied Science.

Initial blockout with camera to establish scale, metrics, and capture the track's feel.

Level Design & 3Cs

In my role, I focused on crafting level and gameplay experiences, transforming abstract ideas into tangible challenges and layouts. I established a vision for the metrics and scale of the tracks and conceptualized level and gameplay elements.

Together with a programmer we initiated a switch to a more player-driven movement and combined race-track design with physics-based platform design to create gameplay areas for interaction with the fun physics mechanic.

Art Direction & Set-dressing

Working alongside another team member, I supported the art direction for 'Circus Fruit Show.' We teamed up with artists to flesh out gameplay elements, focusing on aspects like shape language, color choices, affordance, and how to guide players visually. Our goal was to make sure that the art supported the game's playability and made it more enjoyable for players.

On the level design side, I shaped the iteration of the second level. This meant taking it from its basic blockout stage to the final touches in set dressing. It was all about paying attention to the small details and making sure everything fit together well, both artistically and in terms of how it played.

 

 

Procedural Level Design Tools:

I empowered the design team with a custom Spline Tool to enable fast iteration and efficent blockouts and track generation. Expanding on this, I further developed the tool into a sophisticated procedural track generator using Houdini HDA for Unreal, which included features for procedural cut out holes for various challenges, enhancing the tool's functionality and design potential. With this Tool I was able to do the a complete Level on my own.

Procedural Setdressing Tools:

To streamline the set dressing workflow, I developed various tools. Within Unreal Engine, I expanded the spline functionality to expedite the world-building process for the level. Additionally, I utilized Houdini to create a procedural cloth draping HDA (Houdini Digital Asset) along with procedural textures for destroyed cloth.

Player Feedback & VFX:

To improve player feedback, I created various VFX elements, including the juicy slicing effect, bumper and score display, and speed indicators. The juicy slicing effect was achieved by blending eroding decals and Niagara particles. For the bumper score, I incorporated distortion and dust elements at the bump location, along with the stylized score value. Alongside these visual effects, I experimented with time dilation and camera shakes, carefully balancing their use in relation to game play.

The Game is for free downloadable on itch.io:
https://buas.itch.io/super-circus-fruit-show