Game Art & Design

Quarter 1

Success 1.mp4

Success 2.mp4

Success 3.mp4

Plating pancakes - Rube Goldberg.mp3

Rube Goldberg Completion Reflection.

2/26/26

Daily Documentation

Monday: Today we worked on flushing out the idea, at the beginning we talked about the sketch and made sure nothing was confusing. Then we started testing to make sure things worked properly. We tested parts of the beginning and discussed different things we weren't sure about and changed the idea if they didn't.

Tuesday: We began the actual creation process. We actually started the screw and spline tunnel before we started working on the first pulley since we weren't sure how we would trigger it yet. Since we had issues with it it took about half the period to figurine out and we started here to fix this since this was a part we had not completely polished yet. After we fixed it, we made sure the ball could go down the screw and trigger another idea that we were not sure would work. After we tried a couple options, I came up with the idea to put the trucks' back wheels off the incline plane so that it would not go until the ball fell on the lever and lifted the truck. River was the designer today.

Wednesday: At this point we had to fix a few problems at the beginning like the cup tipping too early, so we added the pizza box to have it on a platform. Next we had to fix the wedge, and then we changed the position of the machine up onto the island and fridge and added the pulley. This was where the idea for the lazy susan to fling the ball into the pulley to make it go down. We ran into an issue with the lazy susan because we could not change the cheese size, so we just replaced it. Then we had a pulley issue with the boot which we fixed by resetting the pulley. I was the designer today.

Thursday: This is when we started having actual issues, like timing. From this project we have learned timing is everything in Rube Goldberg. First we scrapped the wedge in the tunnel idea and went with one ball in the cup that would get triggered by the pulley. We also had a few pulley problems which took up a lot of time in trying to get it to knock the cup over. Then the issue of timing began, which was that we could not get the ball to fall correctly onto the lever because the screw was always spinning. Because of Unreal's chaos engine, it was harder to get to the point where it would actually fall and this took the rest of the period into the next day. River was the designer today.

Friday: Today we worked all day on screw timing pretty much because it would not work. After we got it to work occasionally we moved on and tried our original idea, which was the ball on an incline plane blocked by a wall made of a pizza box on a book, but it was too heavy for the car to push over, so after eating through our time with trying we scrapped it and decided to do dominoes instead. I was the designer today.

Monday: We started dominoes, and we figured we should go up on an incline. It took some time to get to a position where it was low enough that the dominoes would not fall over. We also had to make sure the textures did not overlap and eject the dominoes out of it. At the first turning point (literally), we had to figure out how to make the dominoes knock each other over on a turn. After we got that all done we were at a good stopping point and it was the end of the day. River was the designer today.

Tuesday: This day we got the pulley put in and fixed it up. Then it took us a while to figure out the weight and how we should situate the pancake and the lever. Fixing the pulley and the pancake took us about half the period to get a good method that worked almost every try. After that we started figuring out our filming path and how we would do it, and ran into some filming issues that stopped us from finishing today. I was the designer today.

Wednesday: On the final day of work, River was in the classroom first for flex and started filming, and she also fixed the lasting filming problems and was able to film without any issues. I was absent because I had to do math corrections, and by the time I arrived, River had taken a lot of takes and we were able to get all 3 successful tapes out. This does not include the many failed takes. River was the designer today.

Description

Out contraption is an overly complicated way to plate pancakes. It is unique because it uses all 6 simple machines and has 12 steps. The contraption will start with a ball moving down an inclined plane and hitting a book. The book will fall on a lever that tips over a cup that is holding a ball. The ball will be directed by a wedge to trigger a wheel and axle. The wheel and axle spinning will push a ball into a pulley basket. The pulley going down lifts a boot that knocks over a cup with a ball. The ball is directed down a screw elevator and triggers a lever which then lifts a car onto an inclined plane. The car will go down the plane and topple a series of dominoes that will eventually fall into a pulley basket. Once it goes down, the boot on the other end will go up and knock a weight onto a lever. The lever will flip a pancake onto a plate, completing the contraption.

Creation process

Our original idea was a way to toast bread. We changed it as a way to overcome challenges, since the challenges with the individual components would have taken too much time to complete before the assignment was due. The machines that were the most fun to make were the first few steps, since they were simple, and did not affect the general machine too much. The most difficult parts were the second pulley, and the screw, since the chaos engine would make the setup only work occasionally. Teamwork was important because it allowed one person to provide a solution to a problem the other person was having trouble with. The skills we used the most were problem-solving, since the chaos engine made setups only work occasionally, so we had to use a lot of problem solving to stop the chaos engine from being too much of a problem. I am most proud of how even though our machine ended up serving a completely different function, it still ended up using most of the contraptions shown in the initial draft. If I had more time, I would probably improve the screw, since it was the part of the contraption that was the most difficult, and the solution we found for it (changing its rotation speed to 1), made me feel like we would lose points for it. This is because I do not know if it is required to have the screw spinning or not.

Cult of the Lamb Review Draft

3/5/26

Introduction

Cult of the Lamb is a game made by Massive Monster and Devolver Digital, and it is as addictive as is is goofy, yet dark. It successfully balances two completely different game genres, making a game that has something for everyone.

Gameplay

The game has two main parts, Combat and Base Management, and the synergy between them proves the games worth. On the Combat side, you venture into procedurally generated dungeons while fitting various and endless enemies. The combat is not very complex, but each part has been honed and blends together so well that you still have a good time. During crusades, you can also get resources and recruit followers, which will help you with your cult. On the Base-Building side, you build shelters, cook meals, clean poop (there will be a lot of it), and manage the "Faith" of your followers. Maintaining these levels will allow you to upgrade your health and weapons, which will help you with crusades. In short, the resources found on crusades build your village, and a stronger village unlocks better perks for your crusades, which helps ensure that you cannot focus completely on one aspect of the game.

Graphics and Visuals

The art style is one of the best parts of the game. It is a mix of 2D and 3D, with the terrain being 3D, and the characters being 2D. This helps the game feel more immersive, while also adding a level of simplicity. The mix of adorable character designs and the cult aesthetic creates a unique "cute-horror" atmosphere. The lighting effects during rituals and the fluid character animations make the game feel very impactful and polished.

Sound and Music

The music was composed almost entirely by the now deceased River Boy, and very clearly sets the tone for the different areas, and even the different core aspects of the game. In the cult, the music is happy and carefree, which makes you feel safe and happy. In a dungeon, the music turns into very fast-paced tracks that help make the combat feel very dramatic and risky. The different sound effects have a much smaller effect on the game than the music, but still help you feel immersed.

Story and Narrative

In the game, you play as the last of the Lambs, sacrificed by the Bishops of the Old Faith to prevent the One who Waits from returning and destroying everything. But when they accidentally send you straight to the One who Waits, he gives you new life, in exchange for starting a cult in his name, as well as slaying the Bishops. The story is told through dialogue, cutscenes, and discovery, though you can also make your own story through all the many misadventures that will take place in your cult.

Replay Value

There are multiple difficulty settings, post-launch updates and DLCs like Woolhaven, and a "Hardcore" mode, so it has a high replay value. The base game takes about 13 hours to complete, and an extra 9 hours if you have the Woolhaven DLC. Completionists will spend a much longer time in the game due to the many things you can unlock in the game. The procedural nature of the crusades ensures that no two combat runs feel identical.

Conclusion

Cult of the Lamb is a wonderful experience that does not let one mechanic have more influence over the others. If you get tired of combat, you can go fishing or make buildings in your cult. If you gat tired of base building, you can take it out on the enemies in a dungeon. It is an immersive, addicting, and very engaging journey that is a must-play for teens.

Final Rating

All in all, I give the game a 9/10. If I was including the Woolhaven DLC, I would give the game an 8.5/10. This is because of all the bugs and occasional crashes. However, the DLC was released near the end of January, so I expect the bugs to be ironed out soon. Once this happens, I would give the game a 10/10.

Quarter 2

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