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Space Game Concept

Unity Engine | C# | Solo Project | Creative Prototype

About The Project​

This project began as a simple technical test for player movement in a new top-down RPG. A moment of creative experimentation led to the core mechanic: a "club" sprite attached to the player via a Hinge Joint 2D, allowing the player to swing it around with their movement controls. This turned a basic test into a fun, physics-based prototype about destroying asteroids with a spinning flail.

Media Showcase​

The initial concept screen showing the player character, the swinging club attached by a hinge joint, and the first enemy "asteroid" targets.
The initial concept screen showing the player character, the swinging club attached by a hinge joint, and the first enemy "asteroid" targets.
The initial concept screen showing the player character, the swinging club attached by a hinge joint, and the first enemy "asteroid" targets.The main menu I designed, with a title and a space to eventually display a high score.Gameplay showing the score UI and enemies being destroyed by the swinging club mechanic.

My Role & Technical Contributions​

As the sole developer, I rapidly prototyped this concept from a technical test into a playable idea.

  • Core Gameplay Mechanic: I implemented the central feature of the game using a Hinge Joint 2D component in Unity. This physically links the "club" to the player, allowing its swinging motion to be driven directly and intuitively by the player's movement input.

  • Prototyping: I quickly established a basic game loop, adding simple enemy objects with colliders that could be destroyed by the player's club.

  • UI and Game Systems: I created a functional main menu and a basic scoring system that awards points for destroying enemies, laying the groundwork for a more complete game.

Lessons Learned & Key Takeaways​

  • Creativity from Constraints: This project was a powerful lesson in how "happy accidents" can lead to unique gameplay. What started as a standard movement test evolved into a compelling mechanic simply by playing around with Unity's physics components. It showed the value of experimentation during the development process.

  • Rapid Prototyping: I learned how quickly a fun idea can be tested and validated. In a short amount of time, I went from a technical test to a playable game concept with a core identity.

Future Improvements​

The current prototype has a lot of potential for expansion into a full arcade-style game.

  • Endless Gameplay Loop: I plan to add a system that procedurally spawns enemies to create an endless, wave-based challenge. A player health system will also be added to create a failure state.

  • Dynamic Scoring System: An interesting idea for the scoring is to make it more skill-based. I want to implement a score multiplier that increases with the club's swing speed and a combo system that rewards players for hitting enemies in alternating directions.

  • Thematic Progression: To enhance the "space" theme, I envision early waves feeling slow and helpless, as if floating through empty space. Later waves would introduce dense fields of "space clutter," requiring more precise navigation and control.

  • UI Enhancements: The project will eventually need a complete UI suite, including a pause menu and a system for recording and displaying high scores.