Darkrealm Dungeon

To celebrate Melbourne International Game Week 2023, we have been invited by EIA to participate for GameXcellence Awards in an open competition for game creators and hobbyist. Their mission is to create a vibrant platform for university and college students, fresh graduates, and startups to showcase their talent, creativity, technical excellence and passion for game design and development and potentially initiate their careers in the thriving game industry. Inspired by this, our team ManKo decided to sign up for the challenge. The main theme available were a choice of those 3:

1. Retro Arcade

2. Darkness

3. Environment

The project is being tackled by two recent university graduates with engineering backgrounds, and our passion for gaming is what motivates us to explore game development, a journey that began just three months ago.

Story Summary: 

• You, the player (Adventurer), are in search of a powerful crystal that will make you incredibly strong. 
• The treasure is hidden deep within a dark and dangerous cave. However, as you journey through the cave, you realize that the real strength comes from facing challenges and growing as a person. 
• The treasure itself has a dark history – it corrupted the people who once had it. 
  • It steals the wielder’s emotions, turning them into a zombie. More depth can be added but this is the short version.
• Along the way, you learn that true strength is not just about having power, but about overcoming difficulties and becoming a better person. 
• So, the game is not just about finding a magical treasure, but about your personal growth and the choices you make.
  • Note: this will become apparent through notes that the player can collect throughout the levels
• You end up having to make a difficult decision, keeping the crystal (10 levels down) or relinquishing the Darkheart Crystal and protecting it from thieves and malevolent creatures.  

Game description 

The game starts with the player spawning in the tutorial  section of the first floor. They are directed towards the first weapon of the game, a magical sword capable of killing the undead. Following the shiny coins strategically placed through the level, the player will traverse a variety of environments to finally reach a portal. This will take them to the next floor, where they will face a different category of enemies. 

Game mechanics include a hack and slash combat system and item collection. Enemies can inflict damage to the player and the latter must replenish their health using the health pickups located throughout the level. 

Controls

Buttons	Purpose
W	Move Up
A	Move Left
S	Move down
D	Move Right
Left Click	Attack
Esc	Pause

Game Demo

The game has a demo level 1 ready for testing. The project timeline made it such a way that developers had time only for a demo gameplay rather than a full scale game. Future works have been explored below as well as the challenges faced during the development phase. The demo is complete with menus, soundtracks, a tutorial section and an end game scene. 

Installation

A .zip file containing the game folder is provided. After extracting all the files, the executable will become available. No additional installation is required. The game will run using the executable file “Darkrealm Dungeon.exe”. 

Conclusion and Future Works 

After completing this demo, ManKo has learnt a lot about producing and publishing a game. From the beginner development stage  to an advanced stage. This experience will further help the team to better optimize for future level building and a smoother animation sequence (Example: Use of Blend Tree). For future development, better sound effects can be added when triggering different actions/tasks. Given the short project timeline, the necessary components were focused on. Many ideas had to get rejected to complete a full game. Intended components include the addition of an Inventory Box, Ore/Metal Mining, Weapon damage over time, and a better score algorithm. More time would be needed to learn how to bring those extra X factors to life. 

The addition of more levels (max of 10 floors as per the story). This is to create a short story telling for the audience to enjoy. Build the story in the game to add more depth on the gaming motivation. Boss battles in each floor to complete the levels. A NPC to provide guidance to the Adventure. A better health bar would also be ideal in future developments.

Overall, this experience has taught both members of the team valuable insights into the complex and ever-evolving world of game development. We've learned that creating compelling and immersive gaming experiences requires a delicate balance of creativity, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of player preferences. Through our collaboration, we've gained a deeper appreciation for the iterative nature of game design, the importance of user feedback, and the significance of staying up-to-date with industry trends and technologies. As we continue our journey in game development, these lessons will undoubtedly guide our efforts and help us craft even more engaging and memorable games for players to enjoy.