Centre Name: Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
Candidate Name: Jack Hunt
Candidate Number: 09206
Pathway: UAL Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology (Games Design and Development)
Project Title: HEIST!
HEIST! is all about fast, fluid movement and high-stakes action. It’s designed to give players the thrill of pulling off the perfect heist while chaining together stylish parkour moves. The game is aimed at speedrunners, platformer fans, and anyone who loves the rush of precision gameplay.
Creating this game will push my skills in level design, animation, and movement mechanics while also helping me dive deeper into Godot 4. It’s a great stepping stone for my future in game development, giving me hands-on experience in making an engaging, polished, and replayable game.
HEIST! is a momentum-based 2D platformer where players control a master thief navigating high-security environments. The core gameplay focuses on chaining together movement mechanics such as dashing, sliding, wall-jumping, and vaulting to evade security and escape in record time.
Dash – Short burst of speed to clear gaps or evade security systems.
Slide – Slip under lasers, through tight spaces, and maintain momentum.
Jump - A finely tuned jump to make precise leaps over gaps and to avoid guards/obstacles. The jump will also have buffering, coyote time and other advanced 2D tricks I researched above.
Rope Swing / Grapple (Optional Unlockable) – Attach to specific points to quickly traverse open spaces.
Perfect Timing Boosts – Successfully jumping out of a slide during coyote time (Perfect timing) will grant the player a very generous speed boost to clear huge distances.
Objectives and Goals: Players must complete heist-themed levels by reaching escape points as quickly as possible while avoiding security measures. The game encourages both casual playthroughs and competitive speedrunning with leaderboard integration.
Visual Style: The game features minimalist yet expressive pixel art. Characters are designed with silhouettes, masks, or capes for easy recognition. Levels include urban rooftops, high-tech vaults, and underground tunnels, using modular tile sets for efficient design. A clean, stylish UI keeps the screen uncluttered while emphasising the heist theme.
Soundtrack: Jazz-inspired, reinforcing the classic heist atmosphere.
Sound Effects:
Footsteps that vary based on surface types.
Whooshing sounds for movement mechanics.
Alarms escalating upon detection to heighten tension.
Rooftop Chase: Players dodge searchlights and drones while executing parkour moves.
Museum Heist: Laser security grids demand precise timing and stealthy navigation.
Vault Escape: A high-security bank vault requiring momentum-based movements to flee before lockdown.
Levels encourage creativity by offering multiple routes and rewarding optimised movement chains. Environmental storytelling is integrated, with broken vault doors and distant getaway vehicles hinting at the heist narrative.
Engine: Godot 4
Art Tools: Aseprite
Audio Tools: FL Studio, LABS
Additional: Open-source sound effects and asset libraries as needed
Week 1-2: Prototype movement mechanics
Week 3-4: Develop initial levels and refine core gameplay
Week 5-6: Implement UI, sound, and refine visuals
Week 7-8: Playtesting, polish, and final adjustments
Progress will be documented through a development diary and reflection sessions. Regular playtesting and feedback surveys will ensure the game aligns with initial goals. The final game will be evaluated based on player enjoyment, movement fluidity, and overall polish, with speedrunning mechanics tested for balance and fairness.
My main goal of the pitch is to explain the thought process behind the design of my idea and ensure that my teacher understands my goals and the scope of my project. One of my weaknesses is speaking in front of an audience, but I believe I will be able to successfully pitch my idea for HEIST! as it’s something I have thoroughly planned, and researched extensively in preparation for this project.
I want to ensure that my presentation is clear and I plan on doing this by making good use of minimalistic and clear Google Slides. My plan is to let my speech be the primary form of presentation rather than putting large amounts of information about my idea in text on the screen. Personally, I believe that this way of presenting is far more effective and memorable than allowing the audience to read off of a screen.
Also, the pitch will not be scripted whatsoever, so any questions that my teacher asks me in response to the pitch, I must be able to use critical and creative thinking to answer if I don’t already know the answer to the question. Hopefully this process of being asked about my idea will help me develop a more well-rounded and solid idea for HEIST!.