This game is a project created by me and three other teammates during the CIGA Game Jam 2024 event. The theme of this Game Jam was "Limit and Limitless." Over 48 hours, we developed a puzzle-based sandbox-building game using Unity. I was responsible for the main design and part of the programming tasks. Our inspiration came from a Columbia University professor's research, Designing Educational Video Games to Be Objects-to-Think-With, as well as the game Poly Bridge.
video
Design
When it went to the theme "Limit and Limitless," I immediately thought of chemistry. In our world, and even the universe, there are only 118 elements (discovered by humans), but these limited elements can combine to form an almost infinite variety of substances. Based on this concept, we implemented a gameplay mechanic where players can determine the molecular connections within a 5x5 grid representing a substance. Different connection patterns transform the grid into different material blocks. These material blocks possess unique properties across three dimensions: hardness (or durability, representing how long the block lasts in the environment), elasticity, and smoothness. After constructing the material blocks, players will use them to build structures in the game world. These structures, with their specific properties, will help an autonomous vehicle reach the finish line. Players seeking an extra challenge can aim to collect as many stars as possible before reaching the finish line by strategically designing material blocks to maximize their effectiveness.
Technical Implementation
This project made full use of my Unity Project framework, with the event center playing a key role in decoupling various systems. During development, I implemented a state machine to divide the game flow into four distinct stages: Observation (map view), Research (material construction), Building, and Testing. I was primarily responsible for the game logic in the Building and Testing stages, including reading and loading saved material data, placing material blocks at designated positions on the map, the movement of the vehicle, and its interactions with the material blocks.
My teammate, Jiang, handled the camera interactions during map observation and the molecular connections, material formation, and saving process during the research phase. Accomplishing such a relatively complex system in just two days (with sleep on both days) was a challenge for both me and my teammates, but we are glad we managed to complete it quite successfully.
More
Game download: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1vAZvrPPjEYXgNBLZaNK_5Q?pwd=4x0p Password: 4x0p
