Rise of the Valkyrie
About
Our mindset when creating Rise of the Valkyrie was that we wanted to create a game that was feasable to finish in 72h, while still being fun to play for everyone and having one mechanic that people could play with and have fun in successive playthroughs. The 13th place we scored on the contest proves that to a certain extent, we created the experience we were aiming for!
What I learned
This being my first gamejam experience, I learned a few things about what should or should not be included when working with time constraints. I feel the text that was added for a "plot" was unnecessary and very badly written, since it was cooked up in a few minutes. I feel we could have should added a few sound effects to create a better presentation of the villain. Secondly, I feel that the project taught me a lot about how one mechanic can be so engaging that everyone playing the game can have tons of fun tinkering with it: I've seen people use it to cheat, break the scenario boundaries or just to play around initially when they are learning about the mechanic itself.
If I learned anything from this project, it is the joy that can be generated with one rather simple game mechanic.
- Design: Designing Around One Mechanic
- I learned how much one mechanic can be polished to the point it becomes the highlight and star of the game, pretty much making the entire experience of the game.
- Planning: The Power of Pre-made Tools
- As someone who is a big fan of home-made engines, I learned just how powerful pre-made tools can be as an ally since they allow you to prototype very fast and make constant milestones in testing the mechanics and game very quickly.
- Pressure: Working Under Time Contraints
- This project really showed me how hard and taxing it is to work under strong time constraints, but how all can can still be fulfilling in the end when your job is done and the project is out.
- Teamwork: Working with Strangers
- Creating this game showed me how four passionate strangers with no prior connections to each other, can come together and create something fun for people to enjoy. It also helped me hone my communication and organization skills, since the team was split into two locations (me and one of the guys were in a gamejam dedicated spot, while the two other were working with us over Skype) and getting everyone to stay focused was key.
