JANIMALS is a 3D isometric 4-player local co-op party game where players control raccoons competing in a 2v2 janitorial race against time. One team uses mops to clean the floor, while the other uses them to dirty it — when the clock runs out, the team that covered the most area wins!
Project Base
Unity 2021 [URP]
Role
Technical Designer | Project Manager
Development Status
Suspended [Student Project]
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Contribution Summary
Realtime Vertex Painting
Helped design and implement a system that uses a single particle system between 4 players and results in each player being able to modify the vertex shader* on the floor surface below.
Players access the particle system as they are instantiated into the gameplay scene by referencing a scriptable object. Another component stores spawned particles as pixel data in a render texture.
The same (second) component converts that Render Texture data into a Texture2D, determines the percentage of each color on the surface, and exposes this information using read-only properties.
Progression Design
Moving in a zig-zag pattern as you mop will allow a player to mop more efficiently, using less filling per area covered compared to moving in a straight line. This adds to the feeling of chaos, while allowing skilled players to recognize and use this technique.
Smacking an opponent also consumes mop filling, about 30% per smack. 3 hits will stun an opponent, and 4 will dunk them into the farthest basketball hoop from them. This encourages/rewards teamwork by forcing teammates to work together and render an opponent useless for a short duration.
As the clock runs down, players will begin to move faster, inherently allowing them to cover more ground with their mopping. This allows for the losing team to have a better chance at making a comeback while further building on the tension and chaos we want players to feel.
Feedback Systems
Players are given clear indicators of their actions in-game using multiple layers of systems. Every player actions has an associated animation, sound effect, and some also have VFX.
In order to further reinforce teamwork, dunking an opponent (which requires cooperation) is highlighted using a combination of post-processing, audio, and VFX - thus making it a heavily satisfying gameplay moment to pull off.
Players are clearly labeled in the game scene using world space UI, as are the interactable mop buckets. Important information is centered at the top, so that it doesn't interfere with gameplay focus while still presenting an easy access to objective status.
Project Management
Project scheduling and milestone presentations were prepared with the team to fit within the short 2 months of production, defining a clear hierarchy of prioritization for the minimum viable product.
Kanban boards (ClickUp) were used to clearly define major goals for each milestone, separated by discipline and specific task ownership. Tasks were created per-sprint, allowing team members to assign and update their own.
Meetings and scrums were held regularly, including one-on-ones. Every sprint consisted of a planning meeting, a review meeting, and quick scrums (almost) on the daily.
Additional Notes
*The vertex shader used was part of a pre-made package. Only slight modifications were made the serve the purpose of the project.
This was a student project at Vancouver Film School (VFS) that was made over the course of two months, from pre-production to the final due date.
