Academic Project
Competitive Chase Tag Game for Mobile
Parkour Chasers is a competitive midcore sports game based on chase tag that blends a platforming experience with a simple game of tag. We condensed the parkour gameplay into just three moves: jump, slide under, and the dive, a powerful but punishing move. The game unfolds within a multiverse tournament, where a champion from each universe is sent to compete in chase tag matches. The game introduces four characters, each with a distinct passive ability and a choice of two active skills, all working towards a cohesive playstyle. For each character, we designed a themed arena with a special gameplay feature.
I co-created the core gameplay and designed some of the characters and arenas. Throughout the project I followed the mantra "build the toy first", making sure we had the ideal, smoothest platforming experience for mobile before adding more content. With the extra features, we aimed to give each chaser a unique character, designing a coherent and engaging package.
My role involved balancing the core gameplay, keeping a close eye on the metagame, and overseeing the monetization system. We aimed for a fun, deep gameplay experience that engages players while also catering to the broad mobile audience. The monetization system was developed through a careful study of reference games with a similar target audience.
In our school, the producer role is assigned to one of the game designers. Fulfilling it gave me a comprehensive understanding of the other roles in game development. It forced me to evaluate and understand priorities at each step, using my knowledge of game design to guide important decisions.
I selected and edited the sound effects and implemented them in Unity with FMOD. Many sound effects played a crucial role in helping players understand on-screen events, and contributed to an immersive experience that enhanced the overall game feel.
Uses circus abilities to trick and obstruct his opponents, while also having an edge in athletic abilities.
PassiveWhen running above floor level, his speed increases faster.
Active skillThrows a sadness aura that slows down opponents.
Active skillAfter a short delay, switches position with the opponent.
Uses engineering to boost itself, taking advantage of its superior movement skills and its gadgets.
PassiveAn arrow shows the direction opponents are facing.
Active skillA short dash forward that also works in the air.
Active skillGains more speed for a short amount of time.
Uses ninja abilities, mixing improved dexterity with interfering with opponents, often through a connection with nature.
PassiveCan move freely while sliding on the ground.
Active skillKunais that paralyze opponents for a short time.
Active skillAn ice area that makes opponents glide.
Uses otherworldly and arcane powers to deceive opponents, messing with them in unexpected ways.
PassiveKnows when the opponent's skill is ready.
Active skillBecomes invisible and creates a clone that dives forward.
Active skillA black hole that sucks in opponents.
In this project we had to balance two contrasting needs. An isometric camera was ideal to show both players and a good portion of the arena, while the parkour theme required lots of obstacles and a varied set of movements.
Together, these created a lot of ambiguity and confusion. We had to be very careful with level design choices, and we iterated a lot on the arenas to make sure everything was readable. Meanwhile, we introduced UI/UX elements to help players navigate the environment, such as colored dots under airborne players and character overlays behind objects. This came from a thorough study of references from both isometric and 3D platform games.
Another important challenge was balancing the fast-paced nature of a game of tag with the casual audience of mobile games. We tackled this in many ways. In the beginning, the game punished collisions with obstacles with a short stun. Instead, we gave each player an acceleration bar that grows only while they keep moving, rewarding those who avoid obstacles without punishing too much those who can't.
We then introduced coyote time and active skills. The skills helped level the playing field between players and balanced the two roles in the game. Usually the evader is advantaged, but when the chaser lands a skill, they will likely tag the evader. When the opposite happens, the chaser still has plenty of seconds to regain the advantage.