The first project I worked on during my game design class was using a software called SMBX. This works pretty much the same way as the official Nintendo game, Super Mario Maker, however it has its own unique features. The purpose of this project was to get used to making your own game, without having to worry about the difficulty of programming. Because this means the project is more focused on design, rather than development, I struggled a bit. I prefer the programming side of game development, and perform better when someone gives me a design to make. Nonetheless, I was still able to make a fun, challenging game that I am proud of, and it was a good introduction to game development.
Our first big project, one that my teammates and I actually had to program to make, was called Codename: Holly. This was a game inspired by Jurassic Park, where the player controls a dilophosaurus named Holly. Holly is kept inside a dinosaur battle arena, and must battle other dinosaurs to escape. This game was a very interesting experience, as it challenged my ability to work as a team, as well as push my programming skills. My team was chosen for me, so not all of us knew each other well, and we had some issues with communication. In addition to this, I was made the lead developer on the project, even though there was another team member who was much more experienced in programming. While these issues made the experience a difficult one, I was able to persevere, improve my skills, and produce a successful product. Play Here
My final big project in my game design class was called Beowulf's Inertia, and was made in Unreal Engine. This game was inspired by the epic poem, Beowulf, which describes a story where Beowulf, a Geatish warrior, battles 3 monsters to save Denmark. This idea translated to the game I developed, as the player controls Beowulf, and must save Danish villagers from the same 3 monsters in the book. This project was another team project, where me and another programmer each took half of the game to develop. I was tasked to create the hub world of our game, as well as all the abilities for the player. This was a very big challenge, considering my lack of experience, as well as the fact that Unreal Engine has a great deal of features to learn. Even so, I was able to learn a lot about Unreal Engine, and I created a game I am very proud of.