Polarity

So who am I?

Well, my name is Raphael Wreford and I am a 14 years old game developer. I started coding when I was around 9 years old, using Scratch, a block-based coding system. I then moved onto Python, my first scriptable language, and finally C#, which I use to make games in Unity. Last year, I submitted my game Spring to BAFTA (the UK version of the Oscars) as part of their Young Game Designers competition. Although I was a finalist, I didn't win. This years, I have worked extremely hard on Polarity, and have submitted it to BAFTA again with hope of winning

So what is the game?

This game is a platformer, where you control the main player. The aim of the game is to reach the portal at the end of the level without falling off the platforms. There are checkpoints along the way allowing the player to respawn without going back to the beginning every time. The player moves across a level interacting with 'poles'. A pole is a term used in my game to describe an object that can be either positively or negatively charged. The player can also choose their polarity (hence the name), and uses this to either attract or repel (opposite charges attract and the same charges repel). The poles ebb and flow in power, so you have to time your repulsion and attraction depending on how close you are or high you want to be repelled. When repelling, the player will go in the direction of the mouse-cursor, allowing you to travel both right and left. You can only change your direction when repelling.

I think the game is important because it is an antidote to the violent games currently on the market. I designed the game to be relaxing, adding soothing colours, flowing movements and bold simple shapes. The end result is a calming and mindful experience.

What new skills did I develop?

To make this game, I had to learn a new game engine called Unity and learn a new programming language, C#. At first, I found it extremely tough, and never thought that I would make a whole game. C# was also my 2nd scriptable language (python being my first). I used to use Scratch, a block-based coding system, so it was a massive leap. This was also my first platformer, therefore requiring me to design it in a new format. I also composed the music, making it suitable for a game, matching the game genre and tempo.

A time when I encountered a problem...

I encountered a problem where my player could move through walls. This meant that I couldn't add a wall climb, something that I thought would be a great addition to the level. At first, I just removed the wall climb all together, but realised that I hadn't actually solved the issue, just found a way around it. So, I made a new movement script, but found that it made the player move in an extremely jagged, and laggy way. This was not going to work. In the end, I realised that I had to turn on a setting on the original script that turned on more accurate wall collisions. This solved the issue. I was a bit annoyed because I had spent a week worrying and trying to solve it that only needed a flick of a switch.

How could I develop the game further?

To develop the game further, I would like to add more levels and a map maker to allow the player to design their own levels. I would also like to add another enemy, one that shoots bullets. They are randomly either positively or negatively charged and the player can then change their polarity accordingly, to repel the bullet back to the enemy. This would then add another level of difficulty, as the player would then have to defend himself, as well as finishing the level.

I am also considering making it a 3D game, but have to learn Unity 3D first along with a modelling software like Blender to make my player look more original. I currently only have a grey circle as a player.

ANY FEEDBACK WOULD BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!!