Procedural Exploration Game [2018]

DIVE

Release: Game Jam Prototype
Build: ITCH.IO (PC/Mac)
Timeframe: 5 Days (Sep 2018)

DIVE is a procedural exploration submarine game made in Unity 2018 for the 5 day Brackeys Game Jam, hosted by the YouTube personality Brackeys. Players control a sub in order to explore a deep and mysterious ocean filled with procedurally generated resources and enemies, surfacing to research and acquire upgrades. The game received recognition from Brackeys himself [YouTube] at 2:39 and 5:41 and an overall positive reception from players.

You can check out the game’s page & download it from its Itch.IO Main Page or Jam Entry Page

Prototype Screenshots

The UI exhibits the light and whimsical nature while the procedural system introduces replayability
Personally developed the continuous Bastion-esque narrative exposition system across scenes
The economy went through several iterations, ensuring that each time the player resurfaces they are at the next progression gating
There are two distinct shops – linear upgrades and experimental ones, each with their bespoke flavour text & identity
The Surface area serves as a hub for diving locations and a safe zone for upgrading & humorous exposition, which boosted player engagement
We received a very positive player reception, citing the atmosphere and dialogue as key highlights

Click images above to enlarge and view captions

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Designing and assisting with developing core gameplay systems from paper prototype to implementation
  • Scripted UI, Menu and Dialogue systems in C#
  • Establishing the procedural resource/enemy generation systems
  • Designing surface/underwater segments with upgrades and enemy generation
  • Firefighting for build stability by handling commit merges/conflicts
  • Writing humorous dialogue to boost player engagement
  • Delegating tasks across international team of 4

Videos

We were lucky enough to be one of the 8 games featured on the channel and given a shout out, which gave us the additional exposure of a large (500k subs) channel with direct ties to Unity. You can check out the video below, with our game appearing at 2:39 and 5:41

© 2021 Stoyan Stoyanov  All Rights Reserved
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