The Magnet Games

Our designer was interested in making a physics-based game, which we felt fit very well with the game jam's theme of momentum. The core concept for The Magnet Games was a physics-based game where players needed to push and pull a ball through a series of levels, wherein their momentum would be a pivotal factor for progression. 

This was the first project where I consciously avoided involving myself with narrative or game design, as I wanted to try my hand at programming instead. While I had made edits to existing scripts before, I had never been the dedicated programmer in a project. The experience was challenging, but it was equally interesting and rewarding. It felt very satisfying to be able to bring designs to fruition and create something tangible myself. I created hazards and other interactable objects to influence the player character's movement, which were then arranged throughout the levels by the designer. I worked with the designer to implement the star system, which served as an optional extra challenge for players. It additionally incentivised players to replay levels and get better at the game through practice.

Comments on the jam submission page for the game consistently expressed praise for the concept, and the interactivity of the menus. However, comments also consistently expressed struggling too much with the game's difficulty. Following the submission, a normal mode and hard mode version was made for each level to allow more players to enjoy the game. Levels as a whole were rebalanced and reordered in an attempt to create a smoother learning curve. Tutorialisation was also added where the debris fields and disruption fields were introduced, as their mechanics might not be immediately obvious to players.

By the end of the second development period, I felt the game was extremely polished. I was really pleased with my performance as the game's programmer, and very proud of what our team had accomplished together.