Create a remix of the Roll-a-ball tutorial game that explores the possibilities of spatial narrative and environment while expanding the scope of the original. The Roll-a-ball tutorial serves as a quick tour of the Unity Editor, while also providing a foundation for creating something more expansive.

1. Complete Roll-a-ball

Due by Thursday 4/4

This project will build off the official Unity Roll-a-ball tutorial

Complete the entire tutorial and have a fully set up project ready for part 2. Everyone needs to complete this project!

2. Sketch: Beyond Roll-a-ball

Due by Tuesday 4/9

Develop 2 short sketches illustrating ideas for expanding on the Roll-a-ball demo. Consider an overlay image that will function as a “title card” when the game starts.

Roll-A-Ball as it is, is not much of a “game” and even less of a space to explore. You can win by collecting the pickups, but you can’t really lose. There is no challenge or narrative designed into the game, the outcome is predictable, and the ball is confined to an empty square platform floating in the default skybox. We want to fix all of this and make Roll-A-Ball into something more thoughtful, expansive, and meaningful by considering the setting, level design, and perhaps a bit of risk 👀

The only limitation for this project is that you have to keep the player movement script. Consider the possibilities of “rolling” existing ball mechanics and how rolling influences the design of the level. It is OK to swap the model of the character, as long as the player character still rolls.

Don’t worry about viability at this point. We’ll meet in class to help pick one sketch, and we’ll discuss how to best realize it in the time given. One of the challenges of this project is work within the limitations of the camera and controls of roll-a-ball.

Be sure to include for each sketch:

  • A map of the overall space that your ball-character will traverse. Consider interior or exterior, scale (of player and/or the environment), obstacles, occlusions, viewpoints, other characters, and sense of place. Consider additional viewpoints, cross-sections, or cutaways to show verticality or interior/exterior transitions.
  • Overlay image / title card that includes the title, concept/premise/goal, and controls of the game. This overlay will be visible when your game starts and can be toggled on and off.

Title card for Enviro-Bear 2000: https://captaingames.itch.io/enviro-bear-2000

3. Build it

Due by Tuesday 4/16 ~SUBMIT PROJECT 1 HERE~

  1. Use custom assets to build out your world. These can include your own 3D models, found models, flat image cutouts, and more! Consider progression, distance, signposting, and other elements of level design that we cover in class. Does the level tell a story?
  2. Improve on the mechanics of the Roll-a-ball tutorial. Consider ways that the player could lose (e.g., falling off the world, a time limit, things that could push you, becoming utterly lost, making poor fiscal decisions, spotted by a cat….). The Game should be able to restart when Win / Lose happens.
  3. Create a title overlay using 2D assets (Images, fonts, etc. from step 2 !😉) that has instructions for your game – this overlay should be visible when your game starts and should be able to be shown and hidden during the game by pressing the ‘q’ key.
  4. Add sound to your game! Make a looping background track, sound effects for pickups, sound effects for other events, your own narration.

Please refer to the page on preparing your game for submission for more information on the build and documentation process.

Some rolling ball inspiration (also refer to games from Homeplay 1 as inspiration):