Design
Your portfolio will consist of past design projects plus any other examples that showcase the applicant’s talents (such as playable levels, role-playing game campaigns with supporting materials, or playable maps).
If you have a portfolio consisting of the aforementioned design projects, upload it to our online portfolio site.
If you do not have past work (don't worry, most applicants do not), successful completion of the following assignments is required.
Assignment 1:
Using up to five sheets of graph paper (10 units per inch), design and draw the side view of a 2D side-scrolling game level with approximately two minutes of gameplay. All of the following requirements and constraints must be met. If you aren’t familiar with 2D side-scrolling games, refer to Super Mario, Sonic, Contra, or Alien Hominid.
Then, write a paragraph describing the objective of the level and how you imagine it being played; including how the timing puzzles and jumping puzzles are to be played. Also include an explanation of the theme you selected for the level and why you chose that theme.
Requirements:
- The level should have a theme that relates to the gameplay. You may select any theme of interest to you for a 2D game concept — indoors, outdoors, underwater, in a dance club, even in outer space.
- Include a clearly marked path through the level for the player to engage in all the primary gameplay actions.
- Identify the player starting location and the end of the level.
- Indicate the player size in grid units.
- Indicate the adversary size in grid units.
- Include at least one jumping puzzle in the level. A jumping puzzle may be used to provide a risky way to get to a reward by jumping onto an object, or character.
- Include at least one timing puzzle in the level. A timing puzzle may be used to challenge the player by requiring mastery of player movement to get through a series of moving obstacles.
- Include at least six adversaries for the player to encounter in the level.
- Indicate adversary locations and the paths each adversary follows in the game.
- Include at least one of each of the following types of pick-up items in your level:
Flight for 5 seconds; Invulnerability for 5 seconds; Health +5; Health +10
- Start the player with 60 points of health out of a possible 100 points.
- Include a key/legend for the map. The legend should tell us how to recognize the player and player size, adversaries and adversary size, the different type of pick-up items, and the critical path through the level.
- Use ink for the final drawing to ensure it is completely legible. Presentation is important! Scan (or recreate digitally) your design and upload all pages.
Constraints:
- The player is unarmed.
- The adversaries only travel side to side.
- The normal jump height is equal to the player height. You determine what that is. (We recommend five grid units if you use 10 units per inch paper.)
- The adversaries reduce the players' health by 20 points on touch unless the player lands on the head of one of the adversaries.
- Landing on the head of an adversary will result in the player being tossed into the air, a distance equal to twice the player's height. While in the air, the player has directional control.
- The controls are: left/right arrow keys for direction and the spacebar to jump. To use the flight pick-up the spacebar must be held down.
Extra Credit
Show alternate paths through the level. Show secret areas. Make us say, "Wow, that's pretty cool."
Assignment 2:
Create a simple level to demonstrate your technical aptitude with any game engine that you wish, then submit 8-10 screenshots of your level and a text description of the level including your goals and what you learned while creating it. If you have already created a level outside of this assignment, you are welcome to use screenshots from that level to fulfill this requirement. *Please note that we do not expect the level to be polished or full of gameplay.
Suggested engines: