GTMK Jam 2019: Arrow Dash

Developed in August 2019

C++ Custom-Engine Game Jam Gameplay Prototyping Released


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GTMK Jam 2019: Arrow Dash
Introduction
The Game
        Risk-Reward
        Dashing
        Enemies
        Pickups
Reflection
Download
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Introduction

I made this simple game on my own for the 2019 GMTK game jam. The theme was "only one" and like many others, I made a game about having only one arrow that you have to pick up again after shooting.

This game was made in the custom SFML-based engine I wrote for my university intake, although it didn't make use of the 2D lighting or particle features.

This was also the first time I added sounds to any game project. I generated the music with OpenAI's Musenet and created the sound effects myself.


The Game

Risk-Reward

Although this wasn't the only single-arrow game of the jam by any means, it does take the concept in a slightly different direction. Enemies take two hits before they die and the first time you hit them the arrow will stick to them as they move around. You will have to take it back by dashing through the enemy. This forces the player to take risks and get close, despite using a ranged weapon.

Dashing

Dashing is very simple in this game, you will dash in the direction you are pointing to with the mouse (the same way you direct your arrow shots), and after a short cooldown, you can dash again. You can only pick up your arrow by dashing through it, even if it's on the ground. You are invulnerable while dashing, which allows you to dash through enemies. However, if you don't line up your dash just right, it might end while you're still inside the enemy and you'll get damaged.

Enemies

The enemies in this game are very simple. They move towards the player (ignoring terrain) when they are close enough. Otherwise, they move in random directions. When they hit the player they cause damage, invincibility frames, and knockback.
The speed at which enemies spawn goes up over time but plateaus at a certain point.

Pickups

As the game progresses, pickups will start to appear on the field. They get more frequent over time as well, though there is a plateau to this at a certain point. Hearts will heal the player a little bit and bombs will allow the player to kill a group of enemies in a single AoE hit to clear up the field when enemies have piled up.


Reflection

There are a few things about this project I would change if I had the chance:

Although the game isn't perfect by a long shot, it was the first time I attempted to think of mechanics that could feed into each other and create a very specific kind of experience.


Download

The game was published on itch.io to be submitted to the GMTK 2019 game jam and can be downloaded there.


Project tags: #C++, #Custom-Engine, #Game Jam, #Gameplay, #Prototyping, #Released


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