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Staying Together: A puzzle platformer about relationships

Discussion in 'Works In Progress - Archive' started by TheValar, Aug 4, 2014.

  1. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Staying Together: A puzzle platformer by Matthew Holtzem
    Music by Kevin MacLeod http://incompetech.com/


    Staying together is a puzzle platformer about relationships and the challenges of making them work. Having a second person to worry about can make things tricky, but in the end you can achieve more than an indivual!
    In this single player game you control two characters simultaneously. Your objective is to guide them to the glowing ground in each level at the same time. Every move effects both characters. Focus on one too much and the other will die. Sometimes it will feel as if you just can't get them to line up just right. The key is coming up with a solution to get them both to the right place at the same time.

    WIP Main Menu.png

    Anyway that's my WIP pitch

    I've been working on this project since early July 2014 and am getting closer and closer to the finish line! All the planned levels are complete at least in there initial form so go ahead and play it to the end. I'd really love to hear what people think about the pacing, feel, and art style! Check out the Webplayer and Android builds below, I try to update them fairly regularly.

    controls...
    movement: left/right arrows, a/d
    jump: spacebar, w, up arrow
    WEBPLAYER

    and here is a build for Android
    Android APK


    and here's some more screenshots...
    Gameplay1.png
    Gameplay4.png
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Dec 14, 2014
  2. DaveDexterMusic

    DaveDexterMusic

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    That felt like a pretty unique concept with just the right learning curve to keep me attempting levels. Looks great aside from the characters . . . it's just those big black beady spider eyes. In fact it all looks great aside from the spider eyes. Less spider eyes.
     
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  3. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Thanks for playing it and giving some feedback! I'm glad to here the level progression worked for you. My goal is introducing mechanics primarily through level design so that I don't have annoying tutorial tips pulling the player out of immersion but it's hard to know if it's doable until you throw it at people. I will certainly do some iterations on the character eyes and see if I can come up with something a bit less "beady" lol.
     
  4. HappyLDE

    HappyLDE

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    Those graphics looks some amazing and original! The concept seems nice and new to me :D
     
  5. TheRealBanbury

    TheRealBanbury

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    This is really nice. Not as hectic as platformers tend to be. I had some trouble with the double jump. The trajectory seems to change somewhat with each jump. And I miss WASD controls.
     
  6. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Thanks, I was sort of going for a calm and relaxed feel. Any additional details on what bothered you with the double jump. Like was there a specific action you found troublesome (i.e. making it over a gap, landing in the right place)? I can certainly add WASD controls without difficulty although the S would be left out of it
     
  7. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Thanks for the feedback, I try to work with my limited artistic abilities lol
     
  8. inko

    inko

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    Wow! This is freakin gorgeous!

    I love the atmosphere and style of this. I dont even mind the spider eyes :)

    I didn't finish it yet since I don't have much time right now, but I'll definitley write a propper feedback post once I did.
    My impressions so far:

    I really like the level and puzzle design and enjoyed myself quite a bit while playing it.

    The difficulty jump from lvl3 onwards might be a little steep and some levels maybe could use a slightly bigger goal zone.
    Also the controlls and the jumping feel a bit floaty at times.
    But thats really just nit picking.

    Kepp it going!
     
  9. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Thanks!!!

    I didn't finish it yet since I don't have much time right now, but I'll definitley write a propper feedback post once I did.
    My impressions so far:

    what aspect of difficulty increased too quickly, was it figuring out what you needed to do or just performing the maneuvers?

    I will play with the controller parameters a bit and see if I can get a more solid feel. Thanks for the feedback
     
  10. TheValar

    TheValar

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    I didn't have much time to do anything last night but I did manage to implement additional control schemes. You can now move left and right with A and D and jump with W or the up arrow.
     
  11. FervInt

    FervInt

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    This was a lot of fun to play and try to figure out. Pacing was great and i love the split screen. I only got to play with keyboard and would have loved to play with a 360 controller. Real pleasing to look at. Well done!

    If you make levels much longer..i would suggest having a horizontal mini map type thing that shows each characters progress along the level....all it has to be are 2 dots on a line or something like that...just to show spatial position
     
  12. RedSuinit

    RedSuinit

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    I just finished all the levels you had, took me about 15 minutes. I thought it was fantastic! The difficulty was just right too. I actually wouldn't mind seeing some even more difficult levels. Your level design is somewhat obvious though (in my opinion). You don't really have to think about what you are doing, the maps kind of just spell it all out for you. There should be some areas where it won't really help you to go, but it makes you think and process things a bit. This is definitely a puzzle game, and for a game like this there needs to be a challenge! If it were me (and everyone else may disagree with me, I dunno) I would add one other platform, or path to each level that doesn't really help you, but makes you think about what you have to do in order to complete the level.
     
  13. DexRobinson

    DexRobinson

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    That was actually pretty fun. Cool concept and could be fun to play. Good luck with thinking of new and exciting challenges for the player. The art style is nicely done as well.
     
  14. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Thanks for checking out the demo! I've primarily been thinking that this would be on mobile platforms so i haven't thought too much about xbox controller support but it shouldn't be difficult so I'll put it on my todo list :D Regarding the "mini map type thing" did you notice that you could view the full level by clicking the magnifying glass at the top left? Or are you saying it would be nice to have something always visible in real time?

    I'm glad to here you say it was easy and not too challenging lol. I'll definitely be increasing the complexity when more mechanics get added such as moving platforms and such. I'm trying to avoid adding anything misleading into the level because I feel it's unfair to the player. I'm attempting to achieve complexity by increasing the number of actions you must take and the specificity of the order you have to do them in if that makes sense.

    Thanks glad you enjoyed it and I'm floored you like the art :D I'm looking forward to coming up with more levels and puzzles. Hoping I don't run out of ideas lol
     
  15. FervInt

    FervInt

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    As a player I don't really want to have to change views if I don't have to. So a 1D map across the top of the screen would give me all the info I need. Just a thought. Mustache on one side and a bow on the other maybe
     
  16. TheValar

    TheValar

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    No video yet... but here's my first gameplay gif ever :D just showing the camera system


    Also I've started the delicate process of adding sound effects. I had some footsteps in there but they were totally killing the mood. I thought the jump sounds worked well enough. Thoughts?
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 27, 2014
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  17. TheValar

    TheValar

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    I get what you're saying. I'll play with the idea and see how it turns out
     
  18. macdude2

    macdude2

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    The jump sounds were most excellent. I also thought the game was good, but there really was no progression of story – it would be cool if somehow you could change the background or colors or traps, vary parts of the game maybe add textual signs. Considering how awesome the sounds and graphics are, its a shame that theres no semblance of a story to go along.
     
  19. Hakimo

    Hakimo

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    Nice! I like it. I think the type of game play works well with the graphics. The music sort of makes it feel like it's a sad story unless you meant it to be that way. Things I would love to see in the future is some more complex/longer puzzles. Can't wait to see more :)
     
  20. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Working on some design for future worlds. Not sure if I'll end up using all of these.
    environmentsWIP.png

    Since @macdude2 and @Hakimo mentioned story I'll try to explain what I'm thinking. I haven't fully fleshed out my plans yet and things could change drastically but basically it's the story of a couple and there progression through a relationship. Each "world" will kind of embody a "phase" of their story.

    For example in the first world which is mostly in the demo (although incomplete) their relationship is new and they sort of struggle with selfishness and living their life as a pair instead of an individual. Having the other there is often inconvenient and seems to make it more awkward and difficult to get where you're going.

    The next world might be further in the relationship where they've really learned to become a team and that they're better as a unit then they are individually. This will introduce new mechanics that really play up "teamwork" and interdependency. Whereas in the first world it would often be easy to win if there was only one character, in these levels you couldn't possibly win without both of them.

    These are just examples of what I'm thinking and nothing is really very concrete yet.
     
  21. sledgeman

    sledgeman

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    Wow, really great gameplay idea. Also the style is superb. Makes much fun to play. Keep going on...
     
  22. Keith90

    Keith90

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    This game looks awesome. It's enjoyable to play as well, making you think of how to get through the levels. It reminds me a lot of The Swapper, where you have to think about where to place the other character(s) in order to advance.

    It's similar to an idea I had where the screen is split into two levels, where you control a character going through the bottom level and your actions affect the top level, which has a girl. So depending how what you do, the girl can either make it to the end of the level or die. The story is basically about how all actions have consequences. However, now with this coming out, I'm going to refrain from it. Haha.

    I'm excited to see any updates and I'll be sure to follow this closely. I love the art style too. Could you give some insight on how you achieved the style? It looks like it's done in a pixel art style but it also doesn't all at the same time. Quite interesting.
     
  23. TheValar

    TheValar

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    @Keith90 Thanks for checking it out. I actually at one point had an idea like what you are describing where you would be kind of controlling one character in the past which effected another character in the future and you could see it play out. Like maybe in the future there is a bridge that is destroyed so the character in the past needs to take action to prevent that outcome. Could be cool but I didn't feel like taking on the design challenges of that. I'd say don't refrain from pursuing your idea if you don't want to. It's by no means identical to this concept and could be neat.
     
  24. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Created five new levels today! Phew making new challenging levels is tough but I think these turned out really great. They are pretty challenging though so watch out!

    That makes 20 levels and wraps up what I had planned for the first world/chapter/whatever. Want do do some more stuff before I start working on mechanics for the next "zone"
    20Levels.png

    EDIT: Webplayer for this update is not live right this second but should be by the end of the day :D
     
  25. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Spent most of the rest of today re-working my input system to allow touch controls but I did make one additional tweak for the web build.

    previously if you walked off a ledge you could not jump. Now when you walk of a ledge you can jump once. So basically walking off an edge is the same as jumping once. This avoids some frustrating situations in the levels I made today.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 27, 2014
  26. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Also new webplayer build is live with 20 levels.
     
  27. FervInt

    FervInt

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    great game.
     
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  28. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Control tips will now show at the beginning of the level when you play. They are set to display until you beat any level, at which point they will never show again.
    MobileControls.png KeyboardControls.png
     
  29. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Hey sorry it's been a while since any updates. I've been working on some stuff for chapter 2! The main mechanic will be moving platforms activated when one character stands on a specified area. Hopefully I'll be able to update the webplayer with new levels before too long.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 27, 2014
  30. peter_rodrigues

    peter_rodrigues

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    Cool. Reminds me of that flash game One and One Story. I like games like these.
     
  31. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Just checked out "One and One Story". It was pretty cool. It's nice to see comparable games and look at how they handle things like mood and narrative!
     
  32. TheValar

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    Adding in some nice looking directional shadows. Still tweaking it but I think it adds some subtle polish to the look.
    Shadows.png
     
  33. TheValar

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    Totally went to publish a new web build but apparently since I have the 4.6 beta installed no one would be able to run it :(

    I suppose I'll probably have to revert back or get a dual installation going. Either way hopefully I'll get a new webplayer up soon
     
  34. TheValar

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    It was suggested to me on Google+ that I provide more immediate feedback when a level has been one. I agree that the current gradual elongating of the light rays is not quite responsive enough. I think this improves the situation.
     

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    Last edited: Aug 27, 2014
  35. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Also I've managed to go back to the non-beta version of unity and make a new webplayer :D
     
  36. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Had just enough free time today to totally rewrite my camera system. I discovered that on more vertical levels the original system simply could not work so I elected do do something you would see in the Lego games. It was much more difficult but totally worth it!
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2014
  37. SteveJ

    SteveJ

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    This is excellent. Really well done! It plays beautifully with the keyboard, but I'm concerned that it might be quite frustrating with touch controls. Keen to see how it turns out.
     
  38. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Yes touchscreen controls are always a cause for concern lol. I have a working android build and in my play tests the controls have worked quite well. I'll be interested to eventually get feedback on it though
     
  39. MJNuchia

    MJNuchia

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    Very nice. the independent camera system and art are very well done. Looking forward to seeing how you implement your touch controls.
     
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  40. TheValar

    TheValar

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    I couldn't update the webplayer with the new camera last night because there were some major bugs but they should be good now so I've updated it!!! Hopefully I didn't break anything, testing/deploying a build while grilling a tenderloin is probably unwise lol
     
  41. KheltonHeadley

    KheltonHeadley

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    I like the art.
     
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  42. SteveJ

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    Yep - that certainly wasn't a comment on your game specifically. I think touch controls in general (on anyone's game) are always one of the trickiest things to get right. Fingers crossed you can tackle it :)
     
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  43. NomadKing

    NomadKing

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    The concept here is really really good, and the way you tutorial / introduce it is nicely done too. The art style is cute and the split camera is nice touch. Good job! :)

    I can imagine designing the puzzle for this to be a bit of a pain in the...
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2014
  44. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Thanks for the feedback :)
    You imagine correctly lol. Basically I kinda just have a basic starting idea and I just iterate until it works lol. Every time I go to start a level I get anxious because I have no idea if I'll come up totally blank :p
     
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  45. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Decided to record myself making a level last night and put it on YouTube sped up. You can now see my process in all of it's unrefined glory!

     
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  46. Collider_nyc

    Collider_nyc

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    Hey @TheValar ... this looks great! Saw you in the 2d Platform controller thread and had to check it out. Not sure if the web version is up to date, but I did notice the hit boxes on the 2 characters (or the exact placement) might be off slightly - it's possible to get one character stuck while the other continues on an even field. Anyway, keep it going - hope you release on iOS :)
     
  47. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Thanks for pointing that out. I was kinda half aware of the issue but hadn't really given it time and attention. I've modified the raycasts so they are identical between characters and identified a scenario which makes there starting positions shift slightly. It's these kind of tweaks that can make the difference between a solid polished platformer and one that doesn't quite feel right!
     
  48. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Ok I've finished all the levels for Chapter 2. Need to make a few tweaks but hopefully I'll be updating the webplayer this week with the new levels. I'm anxious to get feedback on them.

    Here's a teaser since I like to post pictures.
     
  49. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Webplayer updated with levels 21-40! Please check them out and leave feedback :D
     
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  50. KheltonHeadley

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    I approve.
     
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