AMBROSIA
ABOUT
The world was once a bustling hive of technology and human innovation before the event that crumbled everything to ruins. Now once towering skyscrapers lie in piles of scrap overgrown with grass and mushrooms, electrical wires have fused with winding vines, and personal robots and security devices are left endlessly roaming with no master to report to. It is into this wild world young Tovala must journey to complete his coming of age ritual and locate the nectar of the ancient Gods -- an unopened can of peaches.
Ambrosia is a single player, top-down, 2D video game in which you must move boxes to hide from sentry cameras with laser focus, manipulate electrical platforms, and uncover keys to gain access to new areas of the map. Each area is much like a puzzle where you must move boxes in a strategic way while avoiding detection.
GAME SCENES
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MY ROLE
Ambrosia was made by a small team of three, which gave me the opportunity to oversee a range of tasks, including:
Player Onboarding
Considering the player's first moments with a new game is one of my mains areas of focus both within studio courses and in my own thesis research. In this game, I designed, implemented, and tested the initial tutorial sequence that introduces players to the general narrative of the game and teaches them the necessary controls, as well as the first level that provides moments to practice these controls.
Level Design
It was also my role to design each area of the game. When designing a level, I like to focus on the player's journey through the environment and map out their minute-by-minute and second-by-second actions and challenges, as well as the platform's' response. I outlined the general layout, puzzle structure, enemy locations and habits, and necessary player actions within each area of the map.
Environmental Art & Construction
Along with another artist on the team, I curated visual mood boards to guide the aesthetic vision of the game world. While the other artist handled player art and animation, I tackled environmental art. I also was in charge of importing all art assets into Unity and establishing the animation tree for the main character.
General Programming
All members of the team played a role in programming the game. Generally speaking, I addressed triggers, animations, collectibles, camera transitions, and mechanics that allowed boxes to be pushed and pulled.