Project Type: Group Project

Status: Released

Platform: Windows

Game Engine: UE5

Development Period: 3 days

Intro

As a contributor to the Global Game Jam 2024, I played a key role in the creation of "A Way Out," a parody speedrun game designed to align with the event's theme, "Make me laugh." The game introduces a humorous story where a girl get food poisoned and use farting to reach the restroom. Player will experience the tension of finding objectives with limited movement in an anime-style 3d level.

In the development team, I worked as a game designer. I am responsible for setting up the background story, designing core gameplay, and providing structure of game levels & cut scenes. The designing process has passed through several iterations, which will be shown below.

inspiration

The gameplay concept for A Way Out originated from a previously shelved idea I proposed during the prototyping phase of the Ludum Dare Game Jam 2023, themed around "Limited Space".

This idea was inspired by my favorite party game - Stick Fight: The Game, where players control stick figures with ragdoll physics to battle each other. Due to the unpredictable nature of ragdoll physics, players will often be humored by the strange poses the characters present. Building on this, I conceptualized a game where a character, hindered by mobility issues, must use farting to reach a loop of rope hanging above, with the darkly humorous goal of committing suicide. This concept was initially set aside, as we chose to focus more closely on the theme of "Limited Space" rather than "Limited Control."

However, this concept was revisited and found to be a perfect match for the theme "Make me laugh." After further discussion, it was ultimately selected for development.

gameplay

After establishing the game's tone, I focused on developing the main character and the core dynamics. With our team's fondness for anime and the desire to enhance the game's satirical elements, I suggested that the protagonist can be a JK (a female high school student in Japan). This decision shaped the game's core dynamics and loop as follows:

Core Objective (Core X): Use farting to reach the restroom at next floor to properly defecate and save maintain protagonist`s dignity as a high school student.

Background Element (Core Y): The protagonist has suffered from food poisioning which impairs her movement ability. As a result, she can only move by controlling her farts adequately.

Game Loop: The gameplay focuses on using farting to ascend vertically, while ragdoll physics and gravity facilitate horizontal movement through freefall after being propelled. This creates a unique and humorous challenge that players must navigate to achieve the game's objectives.

levels

As the core gameplay mechanic takes shape, I realized the necessity of integrating a realistic setting to enhance the game's immersion. Thus, I consulted online blueprints of cafe restaurants to design a simplified two-story restaurant level that would resonate with players.

To increase the difficulty and pace, I designed the path to the second floor to resemble a diagonal route through a rectangular room, filled with numerous obstacles. This not only accelerates the game's tempo but also introduces a comedic element as players navigate through and inadvertently knock over objects and characters along the way, adding to the game's humor and excitement.

For the onboarding tutorial, I strategically placed a restroom on the first floor as a locked door with colorful signs. This setup naturally guides players to the first-floor restroom, teaching players finding the objective and simulating the urgent quest for a restroom when in discomfort. The true destination, however, lies in reaching the second-floor restroom, mirroring the real-life urgency and confusion of finding a restroom under distress.

tone

After establishing the game's framework, my focus shifted to refining the tone and theme of our cutscenes, aligning them with the theme of "Make me laugh" theme. This included the introduction of additional mechanics and themes specifically for the cutscenes.

In the process of iterative playtesting with the team, it is apparent that players could exploit the farting mechanic without punishments. To address this, I implemented an energy bar system. Now, if players excessively use the farting key, the propulsion force will significantly decrease, accompanied by distinctive noises serving as a cautionary feedback mechanism.

To further infuse the game with humor, I drew inspiration from "Kaogei", the over-the-top and comedic facial expressions seen in anime, and recommended incorporating such expressions to our artist. I also suggested our artist draw inspiration from iconic tragedy scenes for the game's bad endings to further enhance comedic effect. The outcome has been overwhelmingly positive; our cutscenes have been a hit among playtesters, consistently provoking laughter and enhancing the overall gaming experience.