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Office Pace is a speedrunner and a rogue-like game, set in a modern-day corporate office where your objective is to get through the crushing work week to escape the drudgery of the corporate world.
You will play as an overworked, underpaid, pessimistic office worker who is looking to simply get through the daily deliverables as fast as possible in order to leave early, to get out of the place corporate calls a “family”.
Game Concept: Lead the development of the game's core concept and mechanics.
Game Balance: Ensure the game is challenging but fair, balancing difficulty and progression.
System Integration: Ensure all game systems work together cohesively.
Player Engagement: Create features that engage and empower players.
Level Design: Design of game levels, pathways, and transportation options.
Progression Design: Plan how tasks and upgrades interconnect to offer an engaging experience.
UI and Feedback: Optimize the user interface and provide effective feedback for players.
Overall Vision: Shape the game's overall vision and player experience.
My Contributions:
My Process:
At the outset of this project, we prototyped numerous designs, and I ended up taking over one of my fellow team members' designs that we decided to continue with. The original concept involved the player completing a set number of tasks within a specified timeframe, then receiving additional tasks each day. The primary objective of the game was to earn the most money, and the player could acquire an upgrade that would generate more money while imposing certain limitations.
Upon assuming control of this concept, I felt that the game was overly punishing to the player. This was due to the combination of a time limit, an expanding task list, and the hindrances posed by these 'upgrades.' In the modifications I made to the original prototype, I decided to eliminate the money mechanic and shift the player's focus towards completing a work week to simplify the design. I also revamped the upgrade system to better reward the player and instill a sense of empowerment, as I believed this was necessary to enhance the game's fun factor and emphasize growth. Additionally, I considered that enabling the player to become more powerful with each passing day would counterbalance the increasing workload, making it possible for the player to complete all tasks within the limited time frame.
The next aspect I considered was how tasks and upgrades could be interconnected. I examined how the player would navigate the level, offering a base option of stairs alongside other pathways that could be acquired or upgraded, such as elevators or fire poles, to access different tasks. I also delved into the timing of tasks, contemplating the inclusion of upgrades to reduce the time required for specific tasks. Another idea was to have the player collect and hold items necessary for various tasks, with limitations on the number of items they could carry, which could be expanded upon with upgrades.
Furthermore, I delved into the nature of the tasks the player would undertake and how to encourage multitasking. One straightforward approach was to have the player water plants throughout the entire level, allowing them to complete this task while attending to others. Many tasks were also divided into multiple steps that could be carried out simultaneously. Another concept involved tasks that took time to complete, such as brewing coffee, which the player would need to return to later while attending to other aspects of the game. In the final stages of the game, it was satisfying to determine how best to utilize the UI and other elements to provide feedback and convey the game's concepts effectively to the player, allowing them to concentrate wholly on the gameplay.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the design of this game, contemplating how all these systems would intertwine.