For my SMU application I had to design a videogame level on graph paper which met certain constraints. When UCF requested that I make a prototype of a game, I decided to build out the design I created for SMU. You can see a short video of the result above.
Space Party Game
Pitch
Have you ever wondered what it's like to:
Go to space?
Take a cruise?
Work in a cargo bay?
That was rhetorical. Obviously you have wondered those thing.
Now you can do all three.
Yes- you heard correctly. Technology has finally reach the point where we can simulate working as a cargo hand on budget space cruise ship.
So what's the catch? you mouth at your computer monitor like an idiot.
There are several:
The ship's AI is having an existential crisis.
The party hit an asteroid belt and is not doing so good.
A race of extraterrestrial wet-blankets have breached the hull and really ruining everyone's good time.
You're all going to die.
Recognizing the severity of the situation, you boss decided to take a cig break, so it's up to you to save the party.
Personal Goals
The Space Party Game was conceived as a way for me to learn about game design. My goal was to create a prototype of a game which fit the following criteria:
Fully playable
Limited in scope to one core game mechanic
Fully animated with original artwork
Animated with original artwork
Concept and Mechanics
It’s fun to feel your power grow, especially when the power of your enemies remain constant. I wanted to build a simple platformer where the player could experience the transition from powerless to powerful over and over again.
In this game, the player is weak by default. They can jump over or run away from enemies, but that’s about it. They have no natural way of dealing damage and there are many areas of the map which the player can not naturally reach.
However, the level is littered with mechanical boxes which the player can use to either send themselves or enemies flying through the air. When in the presence of one of these boxes, the player runs faster, jumps higher, and can approach enemies without fear.
Gifs Of Game Play
The gif above shows a player using a box to propel himself to an otherwise inaccessible location.
The gif above shows the player using a box to send an enemy into a helpless state, and then run into them to destroy them.
Drive It Like It's Stolen is an original idea I proposed for the 2018 Global Game Jam at MIT. The concept is QWOP meets GTA. You’ve just stolen a broken car, and need to wire it correctly while evading the police.
A composer and three programmers were interested in my pitch and opted to join the team. I contributed the design, art, and roughly a third of the code (Two of the programmers were first year comp sci majors, and spent most of the weekend riding shotgun.) Click the link above to download the game.
Jan 2018 Demo Reel
The Demo Reel aboves shows a variety of work from several different original projects. This includes additional footage from the Space Party Game, footage of an in-progress co-op combat game, multiplayer game I am working on, a prototype app I built to help an online furniture shoppers imagine what furniture would look like in their house, and clips from two live videos I’ve made over the past year. It is all set to original music.
My Comedy Radio Play: "Bavarian Pulp"
Above you can find a recording of my full length radio comedy Bavarian Pulp. It was written, directed, recorded, and edited by me.