Slice, Suffer, Serve!

Awarded 2nd place in the Thailand Horror Jam 2024, this 2D slice-and-click game was developed remotely across time zones and later launched on Steam. Players take on the role of a chef preparing dishes for ghost customers, aiming to sell as many dishes as possible while managing customer anger to avoid chaos.

Genre Point&Click / Horror / F2P

Team Name Jihoi

Team Size 5

Tools Unity / Miro Board

Duration 7 days

Roles

Gameplay Designer
UI Designer
Publisher

Available on Steam

What My Teammates said..

What Players said..

My Contributions

Designed and documented gameplay mechanics in Miro, ensuring they were well-organized and accessible to the team throughout development.
Worked closely with the programmer to ensure player feedback was clear, timely, and engaging, enhancing the game’s responsiveness.
Collaborated with the artist to create a richly detailed and immersive world, blending horror and humor to complement the game’s theme.

Conducted meetings and documented changes to ensure all team members, working across different time zones, remained aligned and productive.
Created and optimized the game’s itch.io and Steam pages, improving accessibility and visibility for players.
Continuously refined gameplay based on testing and feedback, focusing on balancing mechanics to ensure an enjoyable and cohesive player experience.

Designed and Documented Core Mechanics

Results

Created intuitive and engaging gameplay that received compliments from game jam participants and organizers for its originality and execution.

Here's what they said so far:

The mechanics made the game more hectic and fun.
Excellent gameplay design!
Very fun and creative twist
The mechanics added more challenge without making the game more complex. It was so intuitive.

Problem 🔍

The challenge was to design a comedy-horror game that balanced with tension, requiring precise and fast-paced gameplay to create a sense of urgency without overwhelming players.

Solution 💡

We discussed various mechanics, prototyped ideas in the engine, and tested them extensively. This iterative process allowed us to create a "sense of emergency" in the gameplay, blending fast-paced decision-making with comedic elements.

Design Process

Workflow Management

I set up a flexible work environment to accommodate everyone’s time zones, conducted regular meetings to keep the team aligned, and gathered brainstorming ideas.

I facilitated a voting process to help the team select concepts that resonated with everyone and were comfortable for programmers to implement.

Core Loop Implementation

I collaborated with programmers to quickly develop and test the game’s core loop, running multiple playtests to refine mechanics and adjust pacing based on feedback.

Prototyping Sandbox Features

I worked closely with the team to experiment with new mechanics on separate branches, seeking feedback from team to identify and implement the most engaging ideas for the final game.

Improved Player Feedback Responsiveness

Results

Players quickly understood the game’s mechanics through a well-communicated tutorial and simple instructions. The design provided room for mastery, reducing the learning curve while enhancing satisfaction with clear visual and audio feedback.

Problem 🔍

The challenge was to effectively convey game information to players, minimizing confusion and creating a rewarding feedback loop for every interaction, ensuring they felt satisfied and immersed in the gameplay.

Solution 💡

We implemented a tutorial section that not only taught the mechanics but also reinforced the game’s worldbuilding. To enhance player feedback, we added clear visual and audio responses for every interaction.

Design Process

Tutorial Design

I collaborated with the programmer, who set up the tutorial framework. I refined the dialogue to align with the game’s theme and worldbuilding, incorporating humor and tone consistent with our game pillars.

Analyzing Player Interactions

I analyzed player interactions to ensure every action included meaningful feedback, such as animations, sounds, or visual indicators. I also listed key information that players needed, ensuring it was clearly highlighted on-screen and integrated into the gameplay.

Collaborated on Immersive World Design

Result

Created a game world with captivating lore and an environment that supports ongoing content updates, such as introducing new ghost customers and levels. This approach not only enhanced the narrative but also improved the potential for player retention through expandability.

Problem 🔍

With a unique gameplay concept that combines elements of Fruit Ninja and Overcooked, the challenge was to establish a cohesive world that felt logical, captivating, and filled with strong visual and narrative identities to complement the gameplay.

Solution 💡

I analyzed each gameplay element and added details to reinforce the story, ensuring that all components were visually and thematically cohesive. Collaborated closely with the artist, provided direction, and worked as a team to align all aspects of the game’s visuals and narrative with its core theme and gameplay pillars.

Storytelling Integration

I analyzed the potential for storytelling within each gameplay element and discussed with the artist how the visual design could reflect the game’s unique identity. Together, we established a distinct art style that reinforced the narrative and gameplay cohesion.

Environmental Design Research

I broke down the environment into smaller components, researched reference materials, and brainstormed ideas to add meaningful storytelling elements. Before implementing changes, I discussed these ideas with the team to ensure alignment and feasibility.

Feedback-Driven Iteration

I refined the environment design through player feedback, focusing on elements that improved the gameplay experience and narrative immersion.

When onboarding new collaborators, I ensured clear communication and provided detailed context to align their work with the project’s vision.

Postmortem

Achievements 🏆

I designed a solid gameplay experience with juicy game feedback that earned compliments from other jammers and the game jam organizers.
I successfully collaborated with other designers despite the challenge of working across different time zones, creating a cohesive team dynamic.
I contributed to a highly engaging game that even our team enjoyed playing, which inspired additional features like a leaderboard system to enhance replayability and competition.

Challenges ⛰️

I realized that we lost track of progress midway through the jam because each team member was working on their own schedule. Moving forward, I plan to establish clear communication protocols to improve alignment and adaptability during projects.
I submitted the game in the final minute of the jam, which caused unnecessary stress and frustration. This experience proved the importance of better planning, time management, and pacing throughout the development process.

Takeaways 📚

I learned that efficient time management and early prioritization are important for creating a polished game within a limited timeframe.
Collaborative planning and consistent communication are important for working across different schedules and time zones.
Juicy feedback and responsive mechanics are key to creating a fun and satisfying experience that resonates with players.

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