Sleet Slip

Play Game

View the Code

Features

Endless dodge ‘em up gameplay
Scaling difficulty
Humorous custom sprites
Rhythmic, laid-back gamefeel
Bonus “turbo mode”

Presentation for High School Students

Development

When I was asked to give a virtual presentation to a class of high school game design students, I decided the most worthwhile thing I could do was create a small game and step through the gist of my process. I based my game off an existing demo of a type of game the students could make in the class. I retained its main conceit of a penguin dodging falling icicles via mouse control, but I gave it a total makeover in the game design, look, feel, and sound. In addition to creating a fun bite-sized game, I offered first-hand insight into the ups and downs of game development through my presentation. I would say this project was a success!

Design

Nice Ice

One aspect I borrowed from the original demo was how the icicles would congregate in little trails. This is one of the first things I implemented in my game, and it added a bit of intrigue to the falling hazards. They weren’t scattered totally randomly, but rather, bunched in zig-zagging formations, like constellations in the night sky.

To ensure that the player could never leave their character still for even a second, the icicle spawning algorithm quasi-aims for the player. Unknown to the player, the screen is actually divided into three columns, and whenever it’s time to spawn a new icicle trail, there’s an 80% chance it will occur somewhere in the column the player is currently in. This means that the region the player is currently occupying quickly becomes unsafe, but the neighboring areas tend to be clear. As soon as the player goes into the clear area, the icicles begin concentrating in that area next, and the cycle continues!

Since the player is in the center column, the icicles tend to spawn there.

The player slides into the right column to escape, which now has the higher portion of spawning.

These nuances in the spawning algorithm result in engaging gameplay. The diagonal trails crisscrossing around the screen create falling pathways for the player to maneuver. There’s a satisfaction in weaving through these winding roads. And, as the spawn rate of the icicles goes up, the so does the player’s focus.

Cool Headed

An endless dodging game may sound frantic, but this game is actually all about lulling the player into a subdued state of high performance. By subtly increasing the spawn rate of the icicles during play, the game hones the player’s reflexes, coaxing them into artfully evading what would otherwise be a dispiriting barrage. The challenge level of the game inches toward the maximum of whatever the player can handle, so they remain glued to the game – almost a part of the game – until the chilly intervention of an icicle collision snaps them back into reality! And although the spawn rate of the icicles increases over time, the speed they fall at stays constant, meaning players get more and more into a rhythm as they keep playing.

This gamefeel informed my visual and audio design. A penguin lounging on a block of ice suited a game all about a trancelike state, and helped flesh out the story elements of a melting arctic with falling ice! Because this penguin is trying to keep cool, freezing in a block of ice at the touch of an icicle fits the bill at a story level. At a meta level, it serves as the antithesis to the serene focus the game is all about. Nothing makes you lose your composure more than being doused in freezing water!

I found a music track that lulled into a low-fi refrain that would mirror the player’s increasing focus. While the difficulty increases, the game play is pretty static by design. So, to intermittently reward the player for a job well done, a tune and a laggard visual effect inform the player of noteworthy time milestones.

Forgiveness is Best Served Cold

To keep players from getting frustrated, the collision detection is forgiving. The lower portion and far edges of the penguin can brush against the icy hazards with no penalty – meaning only direct hits end the game.

When players perform well in the game, they are informed of an otherwise secret “turbo mode.” This speeds everything up – the spawn rate, the ice speed – even the music ups the tempo! In this mode, even the most proficient players end up reacting to the ice almost faster than they can process it! This leads to complete engagement in the game.

To counteract this inordinate speed, the player’s “hurtbox” colliders are, discreetly, much smaller than normal, meaning less accuracy is needed to successfully evade. This makes fast-paced, less precise dodges fair game, so the player can whirl around like a pro!