Blooprent
Blooprent is my take on the puzzle physics genre. The objective is to move the cluster of dots over to a button using a combination of solid blocks, ice, conveyor belts, fans, moving hydraulic parts, and much more. As you progress through the game, you are introduced to increasingly complex entities and puzzles.
Development
Blooprent was the result of many iterations on a concept that I found interesting, and the first complete game that
I have released. Building up a complicated 'machine', then sitting back and watching it work, can be
really satisfying. After creating the first sandbox prototype, I had to figure out how to transform it into a game
with a goal.
After a few half-hearted attempts I settled on creating 'machines' with missing parts, and allowing
the player to fill in the gaps with specified pieces. Early on I rejected the idea of keeping the player strictly
on-rails, and made sure all levels past the first few could be completed in many different ways. In order to earn
gold stars in every category, the player has to out-smart the puzzle, guiding the dots in a completely different
direction than implied.
Media
Postmortem
Throughout the course of this project, I learned a lot about game development. First, I learned how difficult and
time consuming releasing a game can be, even one with a relatively small scope. I wanted to learn everything I
could about how a game is put together, so I built my own engine, and fought every battle that comes with it. I
learned a lot about puzzle design. Discovering what was satisfying and what wasn't took a lot of trial and error.
Overall I'm happy with how the game came together in the end, and enjoyed watching it reviewed or played on
YouTube. One of my biggest takeaways was how important proper testing is. It is vital to thoroughly test games with
people who have not been exposed to it, and without direct communication with them while they are playing. Through
watching videos of the game, I realized I had never taught the player how to delete entities (with the delete key),
and how easily I could have solved the problem.