Week 4 Devlog
Developing Game 2: Super Smash Slime
Game 2: First Protptype and Iterations
Before our weekly meeting last Wednesday, we completed the first playable version of Game 2 Super Smash Slime, a social platform-fighting game designed for multiplayers.
Players control colorful slime characters, each with animations for bouncing, attacking, punching, and being hit. The game currently uses a sky-themed background, while gray platforms are randomly generated around the cylindrical screen. On the programming side, we integrated an external finite state machine (FSM) package, which helped us organize the characters’ different behaviors and animation states efficiently.
After presenting the prototype during our weekly meeting, we identified several directions for the next iteration.
The most important change is creating an environment that feels more natural when wrapped around a cylinder. A simple 360-degree sky does not fully explain the shape of the space or make meaningful use of the display. Instead, we are considering environments such as the inside of a castle or a hollow tree stump. These settings could make the cylindrical form feel intentional and create a more immersive game world.
We will also improve platform generation. Rather than making every platform completely random, we plan to introduce controlled patterns and more carefully designed distances. This should make movement more readable, balanced, and enjoyable for all six players.
Other planned improvements include:
- Adding SFX and clearer UI feedback
- Introducing more gameplay mechanics
- Exploring sudden position changes around the cylinder
One mechanic we are particularly interested in is allowing players to enter a hole or passage and suddenly appear on the opposite half of the screen. This could encourage players to move around the physical display, shift their attention, and take advantage of the cylinder’s wraparound structure in a way that would not work as naturally on a flat screen.
A Clear Goal Before Havles
After completing and playtesting Game 2, we will use the feedback to determine the focus of our next prototype.
Before Halves, we plan to explore one more important aspect of the cylindrical display. We are currently considering two possible directions:
- Developing a fully 3D game
- Testing another gameplay concept alongside a 3D environment, such as an aquarium
Creating convincing 3D content appears to be one of the biggest challenges of this device. The cylindrical shape affects perspective, depth, scale, and how the scene is viewed from different positions. Even if the experiment is not completely successful, we believe it is important to test this challenge directly.
By Halves, we aim to have explored both different gameplays and 3D visual experiences, giving us a clearer understanding of the cylinder’s strengths, limitations, and most promising directions.
