Prototype game - Maze Rover - Need feedback (Playable)

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1

Hi all,

I’ve been working on my first title for iOS/Android. I thought I would start with a simple maze type game, but I don’t let that fool you, there is more to this game than just getting through the maze.

NOTE: This version obviously has no graphics added to it. Everything graphical is my crappy placeholder stuff. I want to nail the theme and required assets before I need to hire someone to complete the graphics. I’m a veteran coder who can’t draw a tree :face_with_spiral_eyes:

Have a play on the webplayer version HERE (Scroll to the bottom). There are some more comments there on my potential theme (Maze Rover = Mars Rover, so you’re a rover on a planet )

I’d appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have regarding the gameplay, controls, potential theme, features. This game is for mobile devices, but it’s hooked up to use the mouse and keyboard for the webplayer version.

You can leave comments here, or on the comments section underneath the webplayer version at the bottom ==> here.

Some extra features that I’m thinking of adding:

  • Teleporters - to teleport you to a different part of the maze
  • Level Editor - So you can send a level to your friends, or submit to the cloud for others to play
  • Community level ranking - Best submitted level of the week etc.

[SCREENSHOTS]

First you select a level (about 16 playable test levels at the moment)

Then you’re presented with a top down view of the Maze for a few seconds.

Then you fly down into the maze

and navigate to the end, using bonuses to help you or collecting them for more points.

There are 4 types of bonuses at the moment. See the post for more description

Some of the levels can get a bit tricky…

If anyone is interested in the technical stuff…

The maze walls and path are two separate meshes that are created dynamically.
I have a separate level editor (C#, WPF) that creates the maze levels.
The levels are serialized/deserialized using protobuf.net and stored as textassets (.bytes) resources.

The result is very fast read times and very fast level creation times.

There is also what I think is called a ‘trombone effect’ at the start, where the camera moves forward while the FOV gets larger, effectively moving the camera from an Orthographic to a Perspective projection, because orthographic is better for viewing the flat maze.

Finally, have I been coding too long, or does that last pic look like it’s moving ?!?

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cool! keep up your efforts!
its good you’re focusing on gameplay those semiotics first. you never know what will happen if you hook up w/ a killer artist/animator put incredible gfx to it.

you might want to consider adding some environment hazards effects. if you are a robot a magnet or spikes/fire… the usuals.

also, consider a rail that takes you somewhere or moving/rotating corridor small maze connected to another small maze.

i like the bonus modifiers! don’t know what reverse means tho, hehe.

cool beans man.

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Thanks for the comments Zeronine.

Yeah, I can’t wait to get some proper graphics in there. But as I’ll have to hire someone for that I want to make sure I know exactly what I want first.

Good suggestion about adding hazards. And the moving corridors or rotating areas could add a real challenge.

Reverse is, um, reverse :slight_smile: My favourite is the Auto Pilot, which shoots you off really fast in a path to the exit, but it ends quickly and if you’re not paying attention you get disorientated. I think there could be some nice levels designed around that.

Cheers