Ratatosk (2024)

Role:

Technical Designer / Scrum Master

Teamsize:

14

Duration:

3 Weeks

Engine:

Unity

Genre:

Kids

Platform:

PC

About

This game was developed as part of our first Game Project at Futuregames, with a team of 14 individuals from four different departments. The project focused on the themes of "Forest" and "Accessibility." The game was specifically designed with Microsoft’s Adaptive Controller as the primary input device, ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for all players.

Introduction

Take a ride through a magical forest full of wonder and hidden treasures! Become the daring flying squirrel, Ratatosk and glide through a mysterious world, with the wind rushing through your fur as you hunt for tasty treats. But watch out, little friend—it’s a treacherous path!

Giant trees stand in your way and vicious creatures will come out from the shadows, and they are not here to play…, so stay sharp and be ready to dash! Can you gather enough goodies to satisfy your hunger and make it through the night?

Day and Night Cycle

I developed the game's day-night cycle, which shaped the narrative and enhanced immersion. Initially, I used directional light rotation with a daytime pause but later overhauled it with two post-processing volumes for better night-time visibility. Smooth interpolation ensured seamless transitions, and adjusting bloom effects enhanced the magical atmosphere.

Day and Night Cycle

Audio Manager

I created a robust audio manager for Unity, integrating it with the Audio Mixer. It organizes sound into three mixer groups—Ambiance, Music, and Sound Effects—allowing independent volume control at both the master and subgroup levels.

The system uses Scriptable Objects to manage audio files, enabling individual volume adjustments and supporting features like looping, pitch randomization, and pitch adjustments.

It’s intuitive to use—when a sound effect is triggered, the audio manager listens for an event, selects the appropriate file, and dynamically adds an audio source, removing it after playback. Sounds are properly routed through their respective mixers for optimal management.

UI

Initially, no designer had been assigned to handle the UI, and the programmer who started working on it fell ill. As a result, I stepped in to assist the team by completing the UI programming.

Accessibilty Settings

Following our decision to include an accessibility mode in the game, I added several new menu options to allow players to customize the colors of various game elements, such as the player character, enemies, obstacles, acorns, power-ups, and trails. I set up the UI to support the selection of seven predefined color options. Once the interface was designed, one of our programmers handled the implementation. Throughout the process, I focused on ensuring the UI was intuitive, making it easy for players to see and adjust their color choices at every stage.

Scrum Master

At the start, I set up a Discord server with department-specific and shared channels, along with a Trello board for sprints and task management. Using my Perforce experience, I established the project repository and helped the team set up their workspaces.

After organizing project files and updating the naming convention, I presented the guidelines and led a Trello walkthrough. Throughout the project, I collaborated with the product owner to resolve team misalignments, including a full day of meetings to clarify the vision.

This experience reinforced the value of clear communication. Our respectful, open team dynamic ensured all ideas were valued, enhancing the game’s development.

What I learned

This project reinforced the importance of clear communication—often requiring more clarity than expected to ensure full understanding.

Leading a team of 14 provided valuable experience in aligning departments toward a shared goal. Daily meetings with the product owner helped track tasks, assess needs, and manage timelines. Keeping an organized backlog was crucial for efficiency, a skill useful for both small and large projects.

Collaborating across departments was both enjoyable and instructive. I gained insight into teamwork while respecting each team’s responsibilities.

I particularly enjoyed working with the programming team, integrating elements in Unity. This deepened my understanding of their systems, improved my ability to read code, and will benefit future projects.