Hosted by ScoreSpace, this game jam was completed over three days, centered around the theme The Floor is Lava. We opted for a 2D/3D hybrid, taking a unique approach by reversing the roles—placing the player in control of a flame, desperately trying to escape the rain that threatens to extinguish it. 

I first constructed the environment sections for each level, then created three unique levels for the player to experience. My design focused on balance. Initially, we wanted the player to speed up over time, so I aimed to create paths that would challenge the player at a scaling speed. When that feature was scrapped due to time constraints, I shifted to a more compact level design that rewarded risk at the player’s current speed. After testing and team feedback, the levels were polished and integrated into the level generation system one of the programmers had developed. 

I began by learning Procreate and focused first on creating environment assets that matched the world’s tone and theme using a well-chosen color palette. Next, I worked on the player character, designing a sprite sheet for simple movement animations. Finally, I created graphics for puddles and obstacles to use in the levels. 

This was my first time as the sole artist on a team, and I definitely felt the pressure. I knew I had to balance my skills with the project’s needs, so I chose 2D stylized art with simple shading. Learning Procreate was insightful, and I gained invaluable experience that I hope to carry forward. 

I connected existing blueprints to level features like puddles and wind boxes, and linked animations to the player character within the blueprints. I also set up each UI screen and configured settings for player customization along with setting up the repository on GitHub.

As a flex programmer, my main focus was connecting existing systems. I spent most of my time working on the player character, which was the most complex actor in the project. Learning to use the flipbook for animations was a new challenge, but I’m satisfied with the outcome and pleased with how much I learned from this experience.