Trials and Triumphs in the Arctic

Obstacles and Rewards

Creating obstacles and Rewards for this simple baby seal slider game was a fun process. I watched an hour (or three) of nature documentaries on the arctic to pick out scenically appropriate elements, and then chose the ones that were the most fun to draw. Working with in these parameters brought a lot more clarity to the scene, and allowed me to feel some immersion in the environment I am trying to create.

Rewards:

Fish — jumping and swimming fish

Puffins

BabySeal friends

Jumping over obstacles

Riding polar bears

Catch Puffins and Fish, Jump over obstacles to get points

Obstacles:

Falling into an ice crevace

Running into an iceblock

Encountering a polar bear (must jump over or onto)

Getting too hungry (not catching enough fish or puffins)

Getting stuck (patches of rocks or dirt — must jump over)

A Polar bear — baby seal can jump over or jump on the bear, but if he runs into the bear the level ends

A major conundrum I faced was that of the level ending. The protagonist of the game is a baby seal — which I have some serious reservations about killing off. I decided that if a baby seal hits an obstacle, he will slide to a halt and make a sad face before resuming the level at the previous checkpoint.

Future levels will include different landscapes, obstacles and rewards, but these simple elements will be consistent through out the game.