A solo project I developed on my own, The Goo Fight is a 2.5D platformer focusing on simplified combat and puzzle-solving. Production began late summer 2011 and ended around a year later.
My Role
As the only person working on The Goo Fight, I designed all the levels, did all the scripting, and made all the art and sound assets myself. Having been started prior to any professional industry experience, this game remains unpublished until it is updated.
The Concept
The idea behind the game was to create something conceptually simple and make it humorous and complex through story and gameplay. I chose a “slimy” theme because I saw potential for a goop-themed world and characters to be likable for many different kinds of people.
Production Process
Initially, The Goo Fight was to be a 3D exploration game. Early on, I realized that it would be wiser to learn to make my own games in 2D first to make things easier on myself. I also planned on building 36 levels, all themed after parts of a castle. This was eventually cut down to 21.
After I made the first 4 levels, I did my first testing session, having my family and friends play the game to see what I did right and what I did wrong. The first thing I learned was that the first ability I gave the player, to shoot goop at enemies, made it so that the player could easily take them all out from clear across the screen, making the game too easy. Since then, that first ability has undergone no less than 5 revisions to make it balanced.
As production continued, I found myself quickly learning new ways to script and expanding my ability to improve upon what I’d started. Climbable walls make a good example, as initially the character would not always stick to gooey walls. After trying a few different coding tricks, I found a functional tactic in changing the control scheme while climbing.
Both screenshots depict the same level. The environment has been retextured and many of the floors and platforms now appear to be covered in slime. I also created custom skyboxes for many of the levels.
Challenges
Being a solo project, I was responsible for everything. By far the biggest hurdle I faced was coding, At the start of the project, I’d barely scratched the surface of scripting, meaning I had to learn a vast amount of new things every step of the way.
Another significant challenge was keeping the gameplay fresh. With 21 levels, I had to use a mechanic from from earlier levels in a new way alongside introducing a new one and ensuring they actually added a new dimension to the game as opposed to being an obsolete novelty.
I also had to make sure each part of the game was polished enough that it wouldn’t look half-done. But with only myself to rely on, there came a reality I had to accept–I would not succeed in perfecting every part of my game, and some areas would have to remain as they were.
Post Mortem
The gameplay, mechanics, music and levels have all been implemented and coded. I would like to revisit the visuals and some of the gameplay and physics mechanics to update them. The game requires far more professional polish before I will consider releasing it as a product.
Now, I look at my work and realize how exponentially my knowledge and capabilities have improved from the time I started creating The Goo Fight. The most important thing I learned was that I am always going to be improving myself and my skills, and games I make in the future will continue to get better and better.
The Goo Fight is the first game I produced and released all on my own, and it taught me how to realize and exceed my limits.
