The Second Pablo (2024)

Role:

Game Designer / Game Programmer

Teamsize:

1

Duration:

4 Weeks

Engine:

Unity

Genre:

Platformer

Platform:

PC

About

The character is named Pablo and you need to help him get to the finish line.

You can change his hat, glasses and moustache in the main menu.

You can beat your own time but their is no time limit to the game.

Their is 3 stars on the level that you can choose to pick up, to get them you need to go off the main route.

Introduction

This game was a 30-day school project—a short platformer with a single level. A big part of the development went into creating the character using configurable joints to achieve a wobbly movement effect. This was my first time working with Unity’s joint system, and it was more challenging to learn than I expected.

Humour and Player Experience

The goal of the game is to create a fun and light-hearted experience that makes players laugh. By using quirky physics and unexpected movements, I wanted to keep the gameplay entertaining and full of surprises.

To enhance this, I added a fruit "puzzle" where players collect and place fruits on specific platforms. With a timer encouraging fast completion, this element adds a bit of stress while also making players laugh at how ridiculous they look and feel when carrying objects.

To add to the humour, I designed the character to be slightly tricky to control. This unpredictability creates funny and unexpected moments, but I also worked to balance the challenge—keeping it rewarding without becoming frustrating.

1st Iteration

2nd Iteration

Controller issues

One significant decision I made was to remove the character's legs and keep only small spheres as feet. This change came about because I couldn't get the character to behave as intended with the configurable joints. When moving the character in any direction, the legs would collapse, causing the hip to touch the ground. I experimented with various joint settings, movement controller adjustments, and mass changes. While I managed to achieve an acceptable feel, I wasn't satisfied with the result. As an experiment, I removed the legs entirely to see how it felt. This dramatically improved the overall movement, so I decided to keep this design for a better player experience.

Respawn Issues

When the player respawns, I need to move them to their respawn position by shifting the character's hip. The connected joints then follow, taking a moment to get into position. This delay can cause the character to get caught in the ground, as the joints move slower than the respawn time. To address this issue, I extended the timer and added a fade-in and fade-out screen with the text: "Please be patient… I am collecting my limbs…" While this solution doesn't completely resolve the problem, it significantly reduces its occurrence. I attempted to speed up the joint movement but couldn't find a workable method.

Level Design

Each level includes three optional stars to collect, adding an extra layer of challenge. Some stars require players to take detours or navigate tougher routes, encouraging exploration and creative problem-solving.

I designed the levels with different elevations to make the environment feel more dynamic and visually engaging. This adds depth to both gameplay and visuals, making movement more than just running left and right.

UI

I designed the UI with bright colors to match the game's playful aesthetic. To make the main menu feel more lively, I added the character standing on clouds, along with animations and sound effects for the buttons. Sub-windows were also implemented to organize various menu options.

The winning screen now updates to display new high scores accurately, both in the main menu and after completing a level, giving players a clear sense of progress.

I added customization options so players can change the character's glasses, hat, and mustache. These choices are saved using PlayerPrefs, ensuring the selected customization carries over when loading a new scene.

What I learned

I gained a lot of useful experience working with Unity's joint system, especially when it comes to connected joints, and I learned how different settings can really affect the character's movement. My goal was to create a platformer that runs smoothly while offering a unique and fun gameplay experience.

If I were to use Unity's joint system again, I'd focus even more on refining the character's movement. I'd also dive deeper into optimizing character mobility with the joint system, especially since I ran into some challenges with respawning.

End Results

This project was both fun and educational, as I designed and developed every aspect on my own. Taking a holistic approach allowed me to think about how music, sound effects, visuals, game design, and programming all come together. I really enjoyed making sure everything fit seamlessly.