Embedded Files
An Open-World Tower Defense Game
Project Overview
Project Overview
Title: What’s the Dog Doing?
Genre: 3D Tower Defense Game (Open World)
Tools: Unity, C#, Blender, Photoshop
Role: Team Leader, Sound, Asset & UX Designer
Team Project: 5-person team
Play the Game
Play the Game
What’s the Dog Doing? is an unfinished game, but a playable WebGL build is available below.
Recommended on desktop for the full experience.
Controls
Controls
ESC to quit the game
WASD / Arrow Keys for movement
123456 for inventory selection
E to place items
B to bark and scare enemies
Space to jump
Shift to run
Concept Overview
Concept Overview
What’s the Dog Doing? is a dog game that puts players in the paws of Doge, a post-apocalyptic canine hero tasked with protecting the last skyscraper of his owner’s world. Players explore a 3D environment, collect resources, and strategically deploy turrets and traps to defend against waves of cats. The game combines open-world exploration, tower defense mechanics, and intuitive controls to create replayable gameplay.
Team Structure
Team Structure
My Role
My Role
As team leader, I coordinated work assignments, contributed to front-end systems including character movement, UI, and sound design, and ensured the game maintained a consistent aesthetic and enjoyable player experience.
Role
Team Leader, Sound, Asset & UX Designer
Contributions
Created sounds, assets, and UI elements. Programmed Doge’s movement, user interactions, and integrated sound effects. Helped guide the team’s design choices.
Teammate 1
Teammate 1
Combat System Designer
Implemented enemy waves, AI behavior, and player weapons.
Teammate 2
Teammate 2
Inventory Mechanics
Built inventory system, shop, and item management.
Teammate 3
Teammate 3
Terrain Designer
Designed map, textures, and environment assets.
Teammate 4
Teammate 4
Programmer - Upgrades & Abilities
Created skill trees, abilities, and power-up mechanics.
Figure 1. The Team's brainstorming ideas of the world map.
Gameplay
Gameplay
Players survive progressively difficult waves of enemy cats by collecting bones, buying defensive items in the shop, and placing turrets and traps around the map. Each wave increases in difficulty, and players are rewarded for strategy and resource management.
Player Controls & Interaction
Player Controls & Interaction
Controls were designed for intuitive 3D navigation and defense management.
Control Summary:
Control Summary:
WASD / Arrow Keys — Move Doge
Mouse — Move camera & interact
Space — Jump
B — Bark (temporary crowd control)
Number keys 1-6 — Inventory selection
E — Place items
Defense Systems & Mechanics
Defense Systems & Mechanics
Turrets
Turrets
Turrets serve as the core defensive mechanic, featuring automated enemy tracking, projectile-based attacks, and impact/explosion effects. Strategic placement is essential, encouraging players to think tactically about positioning, range, and coverage to maximize battlefield control.
Figure 2. Testing turret placement and turret damage.
Spike Trap
Spike Trap
Spike traps introduce environmental area control by dealing damage to enemies that cross their path. This mechanic adds a layer of passive defense, allowing players to combine traps with active weapons for more effective crowd management.
Figure 3. Testing the spike trap on enemies.
Cannon
Cannon
The cannon is a high-damage, heavy artillery defense designed to eliminate tougher enemies. It fires slower, high-impact projectiles that create powerful explosion effects, rewarding players who prioritize timing, placement, and strategic target selection.
Figure 4. The Team's first cannon wireframe.
Figure 5. Testing the cannon.
Pea Shooter
Pea Shooter
Pea shooters function as lightweight, rapid-fire defense units designed to handle large enemy swarms. Their fast firing rate and low cost make them ideal for early-game defense and sustained pressure across waves.
Figure 6. Early testing of the pea shooter.
The Bomb
The Bomb
Bombs provide high-impact, localized damage, enabling players to quickly eliminate clustered enemies. This mechanic supports tactical decision-making by rewarding precise timing and smart placement.
Figure 7. Early testing of the bomb.
The Enemy Design
The Enemy Design
Enemies are designed with varied movement patterns and death effects to create engaging wave-based combat. Upon defeat, enemies drop collectible resources that feed into the game’s economy, reinforcing the gameplay loop of earning, upgrading, and defending.
Figure 8. Early testing of killing enemies to get bones.
Inventory & Shop
Inventory & Shop
Players collect bones to purchase weapons, turrets, and traps from the shop. The UI was designed for clarity and ease-of-use, ensuring players can quickly browse, select, and place items.
Figure 9. The Team's first in-game UI wireframe.
Figure 10. The inventory system was created first.
Figure 11. The shop was created to buy defense items.
Bullets
Bullets
Although individual bullets are too tiny and fast to see up-close in the game, small touches like this custom bullet design with Doge faces highlight attention to detail and polish.
Technical Highlights
Technical Highlights
Technical Highlights
Technical Highlights
Physics-based detection for turret targeting and explosions
Layer masks ensure accurate collision and damage handling
Bark ability temporarily disables enemies (crowd control)
Inventory and shop are fully interactive and intuitive
Art Direction
Art Direction
The game maintains a cohesive stylized art direction for the environment, UI, and character models. Custom textures, hand-drawn UI, and consistent theme contribute to an immersive player experience.
Playtesting & Iteration
Playtesting & Iteration
Iterative playtesting refined enemy difficulty, wave pacing, and turret effectiveness. Adjustments were made to ensure challenge without frustration and smooth learning curves for new players.
Playtesting & Iteration
Playtesting & Iteration
The final build includes:
Multiple turret types, traps, and weapons
Waves of progressively difficult enemies
Functional shop and inventory system
Fully explorable environment and buildings
Scoring system and victory/defeat conditions
Tutorial and introduction
Play the Game
Play the Game
What’s the Dog Doing? is an unfinished game, but a playable WebGL build is available below.
Recommended on desktop for the full experience.
Controls
Controls
ESC to quit the game
WASD / Arrow Keys for movement
123456 for inventory selection
E to place items
B to bark and scare enemies
Space to jump
Shift to run
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