REM

This game was a seven person project over the course of six weeks. My primary roles were project lead, designer and developer.
REM is a platformer puzzle game which requires the player, together with their plush, solve puzzles and escape their nightmare.
As this was an employment pathway, the theme was 'Showcase your Skills'. The main takeaway from this was my ability to adapt under pressure and lead a team.
REM was submitted as part of the Tranzfuser Games Jam.

The initial challenge was to establish what mechanics the player should have and how they can be used for multiple actions in the world.
I implemented a slam attack, which occured when the player presses a defined button whilst airborne.
This mechanic could be used to attack enemies, break certain floors and it would also act as a way to gain extra height through bouncing.
This was also my answer to a double jump.
The plush could also be thrown and recalled like a boomerang. This was inspired by 'Kratos's Leviathan Axe from God of War'.
This could attack enemies, break rocks, activate buttons, keeping to my personal theme of mechanics having multiple functions.
When the plush is away from Rem she can't attack or perform many actions.
However, using the SoulSwitch mechanic the player could take control of the plush (plush must be out of Rem's hand) to activate buttons that Rem herself can't reach.

I created enemies that had different abilities to combat Rem.
The first was a bat with a singular eye, this shot an orb that would draw Rem close and damage her.
The main concern was if the gravitational pull was too strong it could affect platforming if enemies were placed near ledges.
The second enemy was a spider creature that would shoot balls of web. This would create a net and slow down Rem's movement speed as well as damage her.
The snake would shoot a blob of poison that would do continuous damage for a duration.
The old lady would be more savage. She would rush at Rem and do a flurry of slashes. This encourages the player to keep their distance.
The boss of the game, the Demon's Eye, will rain meteors down on the player. Additionally, the eye would have a singular weak point and the player would have to throw the plush at it.
If the player hit any other part of the eye the plush would be recalled to the player.

The first level was designed to showcase and teach the player their mechanics. As some have multiple uses it was important to show what was possible early on.
The initial section was designed as a relatively safe space with the initial bat enemy. This meant the player could work out basic fundamentals of jumping and attacking.
The player could skip the first creature entirely if they wanted to. Then the player was introduced to the slam mechanic using a graffiti style to display commands on walls.
The next step was to inform the player of the SoulShift mechanic and in a similar manner provide a segment where the player needed to utilise it to progress.
Experimenting with sequencer allowed me to show the player the results of their actions and progression.
The second level introduced more enemies and platforming sections, alongside more puzzles.

REM is a platformer game set in a dream world.
The player must travel through her dream and then escape her nightmare. They will encounter many obstacles along the way. Only with their trusty plush can they make it to the end.
REM has three mechanics for the player to utilise both with dual functionality. Slam, to break objects blocking Rem's way and also use it to gain extra height,
throw the plush to break objects, hit enemies, hit buttons to progress, and once the plush is thrown use SoulShift to control the plush.