Project: The Cure's Quest

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The Cure's Quest: A father's fight against the mutant plague

My Role: This project was completed during a sprint week, where I contributed to character creation, movement and combat mechanics. My responsibilities also included animations, level design, sound effects, pixel art and story development.

Team Partner: Christina Trossen, Annika Koehler, Markus Schmidbauer and Rafael Vrabel

Used Tools: Unity Engine, Adobe Illustrator and Git

Duration: 1 Sprint week

Overview

The Cure's Quest is a 2D role-playing game crafted with Unity that combines shooter action with a gripping story.

You play as Kyle, a father trying to save his daughter Kim from a plague that is turning her into a mutant. You explore a post-apocalyptic world, fighting mutants and interacting with townspeople to find clues and upgrades. The game focuses on a smooth user experience with immersive sound, detailed pixel art and engaging gameplay. Your goal is to reach the hidden Caragenia Labs and find a cure before it's too late.

Ideation

The creation of The Cure's Quest started with shaping the game’s vision. This included brainstorming the story, sketching the game map, and designing example mutants with different capabilities.

The focus was on figuring out how the game would work and what it would look like to keep players engaged. This early planning helped build a strong foundation for a fun and immersive game.

Level design process

In the initial design phase, the environments were still relatively friendly, but we wanted to create a dark and unsettling atmosphere to match the story. To achieve this, we experimented with different color schemes, lighting conditions, and environmental elements to create a haunting atmosphere that reflects the post-apocalyptic despair of the story.

By customizing these design elements, we were able to create levels that not only visually enhanced the gameplay, but also supported the mood of tension and desperation.

Ultimately, the resulting atmosphere became the perfect complement to the game's dark and emotional journey. The background music also plays a major role.

Dark, retro-style music has been incorporated, which also includes sounds of the forest and wildlife. This allowed us to make the game even more immersive.

Pixel artwork

The artwork was crafted in Adobe Illustrator, bringing a retro charm to the game's visual style. Every element, from the user interface to the characters, weapons, and mutants, was designed in pixel art to create a cohesive look.

The focus was on developing characters that fit the game's dark, post-apocalyptic world, while ensuring the UI was intuitive and visually consistent with the overall aesthetic. The result was a distinctive style that enhanced both the gameplay experience and the immersive atmosphere.

A particular challenge was the creation of suitable animations. Changing the proportions of the characters and the mutants when they move required a lot of effort and finesse. For instance, we had to experiment a lot with the speed at which the legs had to change when the main character explores the world.

Emission maps

We've created emission maps to make the mutants glow in the dark, giving them a unique, spooky effect. These maps highlight parts of the textures that emit light, enhancing the creepy atmosphere of the game, especially in dark areas.

Gameplay insights

Below you get an insight into how the different elements play together to create the unique experience of the game. Discover how the various gameplay mechanics, from combat to decision making, work together to form an engaging and immersive journey through the game.

In developing The Cure's Quest, we crafted an immersive 2D role-playing game that seamlessly blends compelling mechanics, striking aesthetics, and dynamic gameplay. By integrating fast-paced combat, strategic decision-making, and a richly detailed pixel art style, we created a visually engaging and emotionally gripping experience.

By carefully designing emission maps and intuitive UI elements, we further improved the game's atmosphere and player interaction. The result is an intense and captivating odyssey through an exciting, post-apocalyptic world.

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