This project is a game trailer for a fictional platformer.
Stuck deals with the concept of loss and one final challenge - What do you do when there are no more worlds left to conquer?
Stuck deals with the concept of loss and one final challenge - What do you do when there are no more worlds left to conquer?
2022 // 0:56 min, 2D animation/game trailer, Unity & Photoshop // Propädeutikum - mentoriertes Projekt, 5 weeks
Process
stuck was my first project using Unity. I wanted to create a platformer around the feeling of loss. Sometimes I feel like I'm just preparing for the next catastrophe in my life and I go through the daily motions feeling sort of shellshocked. I wanted to confront this feeling by asking myself the question - what will you do if everything you've been working towards fails?
The world of stuck is a place, in which magic is gradually disappearing. The great beasts are dying out and the age of magic is coming to a close. The protagonist is a young mage seeking to convene with the last remaining giant and make a pact ensuring that their magic will survive. The realm is filled with defunct magical objects that can only speak in fragments and form a trail to the giant.
Upon arriving at its last known location, they find the giant dead.
"magical" objects
concept art
Before starting I drew up some rough ideas for the plot, tools and atmosphere I was aiming for. During the digital music skill week I created a track that I wanted to incorporate as background music.
method
My first step was to create the protagonist. I wanted a simple character that could I could build on as the concept progressed.
I landed on the "sduck" (stuck duck) - a cloaked, birdlike figure. Using Unity I then created basic movement animations (idle, run, jump) and worked on the color scheme.
After the base design I began to look at how they would interact with their environment and came up with some simple abilities - a climb, jump boost & a screech.
Parallel to the character design, I began to set up the world using Photoshop. I split up the areas into background, player level and foreground, so I could use a Parallax effect for the camera in Unity.
After the last playtest & feedback I decided that the movement wasn't where I wanted it to be and the level design still needed some readjusting, so I created a short game trailer for the exhibition. I illustrated the images above to set the tone and hint at the plot.
The music and sound effects are from artlist.io.
I achieved my personal goal of taking my first steps with Unity and would like to return to this project once I feel more comfortable and can create a more multi faceted experience.