This blog will highlight progress for the game IHunt (temporarily named as such).

IHunt is a casual 2D game where players interact with in-game characters to learn more about the world and unlock new areas to explore. In a light hearted post-apocalyptic world, you open a restaurant to experiment with different foods and see what this area of the world has to offer. During the day, you wander through various biomes to gather ingredients and later return to your restaurant to prepare a meal tailored to people you find interesting. As you prove yourself a loyal friend through understanding your customers, they open up to you and share tips about parts of the world with which they are most familiar.

Game Structure

The IHunt development team is broken down into five smaller teams, each focusing on a different aspect of the game: programming, sound, narration, gameplay, and art/animation. Each team has a lead that communicates with project managers with updates as well as blockages. Leads also meet weekly to keep each other updated in order to maintain a cohesive project design.

 

Art/Animation

IHunt will focus on a pixel art aesthetic, similar to Stardew Valley but less detailed. The current color scheme for radiation is purple, pink, and red. We are designing tiles to be placed in the game while narration develops characters. On the left below is an example of many tiles together, and the other two are prototype tiles for the restaurant (floor and stool).

        

 

Programming

As other teams are creating more specific details and assets, we are working to build the fundamental structure of the game in which we can add additional/more specific elements. This includes coding the daily cycle of ingredient gathering, recipe crafting, and dialogue; testing grid layout in Unity; developing basic UI, and determining the most efficient scene loading mechanic.

Controls are currently WASD, with mouse-click for interaction.

 

Narration

We are working to develop both the main character (player), as well as the main in-game characters that will interact with the player. Some character ideas include: one family with eight brothers, a lone-wanderer, a researcher studying the mysterious forest, a spunky book-smarts pirate, a man made of salt, an old hermit, a rich food snob, and a comedic animal friend. We are still finalizing which characters will be prioritized in the game and developing their personalities.

 

Gameplay

IHunt has three different biomes: forest, ice/water, and desert. We are developing the mood and theme for each area, as well as sketching out the world map (images below). The forest feels mystical and mysterious, the desert is more of a wasteland with heavy mutation, and the ice/water area very lighthearted with beautiful crystals. We are also designing ingredients and developing the mechanics for gathering them, such as mining rocks and picking flowers.

 

Sound

Ashley is our only sound designer, so she is working closely with the other teams to develop songs and sound effects to match the game. There will be different songs for each biome that best reflect their moods, while still maintaining a cohesive feel for the game as a whole. All sounds match the pixel art theme and are retro/8bit-esque.