Game Design

Game Balancing Exercise

Project: Unpublished Idle Game
Balancing sheet
Processing time: 20 h, including research
Tools: Google Spreadsheet

My Approach

The task was to create a first iteration of a balancing sheet for an idle game that is not too unlike Cookie Clicker.

I first identified the overall design goals and set the scope.
Based on that, I laid down the core loop, its relevant systems, and how they interact, as well as adding some more design specifications.
Next I identified the core parameters for balancing, defined the shape of the balancing curves, and set some starting conditions.
Only then did I open the spreadsheet and start writing interactive formulas. Each of the close to 40.000 data points on three pages is automatically calculated based of merely a handful of core parameters.

Prototyping

Project: Pin
Completely playable 2D prototype
App: Adventure Game Studio

The Problem

Half-way through our semester project, I needed a way to test the narrative and the puzzles I had designed. Core features of the Unity project wouldn't be finished for another couple of weeks, so testing in-engine was not an option, and paper prototypes too unreliable.

My Approach

Within a week, I

researched what alternative game engines exist specifically for point-and-click adventures,
learned how to use Adventure Game Studio,
created placeholder assets, and
completely scripted the entire game,
performed first play tests using the prototype.

By the time the game was feature complete, I had already gone thought multiple iterations of the prototype.

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