Keyfacts:
Engine: Unreal Engine 5.1
Platform: PC (Windows)
Controls: Keyboard, Controller
Genre: Tower Defense
Perspective: Third-Person
Setting: Stylized Dark Fantasy
Style: Semi Realism
About the Game:
Assuming the role of a demon huntress, armed with a crossbow and the power to cast magic, players are tasked to cleanse her contractors manor off of the portals to the underworld. While they explore the different rooms and hallways of the estate, they need to also secure their source of magic, the Nexus, as its destruction marks game over, as well as ones own death.
To fend off the countless minions that get spawned every night, players can use mana and collected spells, represented by cards, to build powerful defense statues or vicious traps. Depending on the statue built, enemies will be slowed down by ice, blasted by fire or endure chained damage through electrocution. And if that offense doesn’t stop them, spike or bear traps might do the trick, if the whirling blades haven’t done so already.
After surviving another night, players need to manage the daytime wisely:
Will they open up more rooms, activating the portals behind them, use the cards they collected or look for more artifacts? The clock is ticking down and with the night phase approaching, locking the former mentioned possibilities, a new and stronger wave of enemies awaits, ready to claim the manor once and for all.
Competitive players can enter their score to a high score list, or try their luck on the harder difficulty for their next replay.
For more active players, the agile movement allows for interesting direct combat:
Dashing made them invulnerable for a few seconds, pushing them into the aimed direction.
Sprinting, which recharged over time, enhanced the players regular speed while used.
Jumping / Double jumping eases avoiding enemies and changing positions during combat.
Teleportation back to the Nexus allows the return to the source of mana whenever, wherever.
Going into battle, regular shots can be paired with super shots rechargeable super shots.
The final cleansing of the building depends on retrieving four mystical artifacts, hidden throughout the level, and surviving the costs: On collection, a more powerful demon- Nox- will be evoked and test the players, as she can cast spells on her own.
My tasks:
Unit behavior:
As the game consists of spawning enemies in waves with increasing numbers as well as challenging players with bosses in between, with chooseable difficulty, it needed explicit management. As the enemies also needed to be able to reach the Nexus, observing their portal’s activations depending on the connected door opening as well as collection of the artifacts was key. Locking / unlocking these possibilities during night / daytime, and triggering the change of phase factored in as well.
UI implementation:
Aside from the minimap, it contained every element, from player and Nexus health and man value, to score, daytime / enemies left and the current hand of cards. Animated transitions or feedback, such as blinking health or up-/downscale of cards guides the players view to the important elements. To prevent frustration, unaccessible options are explained via short texts that pop up in the screens center, like “Not enough mana”.
Card-system:
To enable players to build or upgrade towers and traps, buff themselves or heal, the game designer outlined a card system. Slain enemies drop cards by set chances, which stay active for a certain amount of time, before disappearing. Collection, display and usage of cards get handled via UI and card manager.
Gameplay / performance:
To make the game accessible on lower do medium end computers, settings and assets as well as VFX needed to be closely handled. From implementing object-pools to limit despawning as well as optimizing collision calls and raytracing, adjustments were made.
Changed plans:
Enemy variations:
Besides the two implemented enemies, variations were intended. The regular mob enemies should have been expanded to contain types that could attack as well or have differing weaknesses against certain types of towers or traps.
Multiple upgrades:
Beyond one upgrade, the towers were intended to have multiple levels, which would have slightly changed their attacks as well. While prioritizing on polishing the main gameplay, the increase of variations in enemies and upgrades were cut. This made room to set up a tutorial in the main menu and allowed players to choose between two difficulties.
Re-/ move towers & traps:
As placement of towers and traps should be revertable, the possibility to remove and store towers / traps back in the player’s hand came up. Due to the upgradeability of towers and balancing issues, it got abandoned though.
