Crystal Cave

An endless 2D platformer where two unfortunate miners must survive as long as they can. Swing by using the grappling hook and collect as many gems as you can before the lava gets to you!

Behind the scenes...

Concept

Turning to retro arcade games for inspiration, the team came up with a game concept for an endless scrolling 2D platformer. Initially, the characters were to use only their grappling hook to reach higher ground. The ability to jump was later implemented after hearing how confused playtesters were for not being able to jump. The team wanted to put the spotlight on the grappling hook mechanic, but removing the ability to jump was not the way to go.

Roles and Responsibilities

My responsibility for Crystal Cave was to create and animate the main player sprites. Due to the game drawing inspiration from a retro style, I chose to work with a limited palette. I also made sure that each character had recognizable and distinct features to set them apart from each other, as well as made sure their palette stood out from the background.

Learning Outcome

Crystal Cave taught me how crucial feedback and playtesting is to the development process. The idea for us to bring back the jumping mechanic came from an outsider who playtested our game. Outsiders don’t have access to the game’s code or know the rules as well as the designers, and so rely on the game to tell them all its mechanics. Thanks to outsider feedback, we were able to make Crystal Cave the best game it can be.

Genre

Engine

Platform(s)

Download link

Players

2D Platformer game

Unity

Windows, Arcade

1-2 Players

Itch.io download

Team size

5 people