Rat Attack!
Play as a seasoned exterminator in upstate New York, going into a job he will never forget.
What I did
- Designed and built the game solo in Unity (C#) over three months
- Wrote the concept work, visual system diagrams, and a full GDD
- Narrowed multiple concepts down to the one that became the game
- Revised the game after playtests with audio cues, faster rats, and spline-driven random-intent rat movement
Problem
In playtests the game was too dark and not tense enough.
Goal
Build an atmosphere that feels unique and immersive without being too large in scope or nauseating for the player.
Iterations
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- Before
- The game felt too dark and not tense enough.
- What we found
- Playtests showed the tension was not landing.
- What changed
- Added audio cues, made the rats faster, and gave them spline-driven random-intent movement.
Result
A finished PC game, playable in the browser on itch.io.
Rat Attack is a game about subverting expectation, and being open to change. The player takes the body of a seasoned exterminator in upstate New York, going into a job he will never forget. Through moments of fast-paced and challenging combat of trying to capture feral rats interlaced with longer calmer sections of storied exploration, the game intends to create a curious and captivating experience. This makes the game suitable for ages 10+ with a focus on the young adult / teen market, meant to be played on PC. It supports keyboard and controller.
Process
This academic project involved a massive amount of documentation, from creating multiple concepts and whittling them down, to visual system diagrams, and an entire GDD. After the first playtests, the game was too dark and not tense enough, so I added audio cues, made the rats faster, and gave them spline-driven random-intent movement.
Challenges
A large challenge with Rat Attack was getting down an aesthetic that would create a unique and immersive atmosphere, without being too scopey or nauseating for the player.
Outcome and lessons
This game helped connect all of the concepts between design and implementation, while allowing me to create a product I’m incredibly proud of.
