Niv Khurana
Project Goals
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Practice level design
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Conceptualise and develop a game on a strict timeline
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Establish workflow with a new team
Research & Planning
Game Design
The game jam theme was released in two parts. The theme ("Laundromat") was announced at the start of the jam, with a secondary theme ("Dragons are real now") being revealed 24 hours later. As such, it was decided to have the gameplay be flexible to allow for adjustments to accommodate the secondary theme. I took inspiration from the location and pitched several gameplay and narrative-focused projects in different genres. I prioritised concepts that would require minimal dialogue, art and sound, and that could be expanded on after the jam's duration as well by adding levels. While the game was made for PC, my intention was to also make it playable on mobile through click/tap actions. Games such as Dinner Dash were my primary inspiration for this.
Development Process
Game Design
The team all pitched ideas at the start of the jam, with a few hours given to allow for discussion. Once the management pitch was selected, I developed visual documentation (above) to aid the developer, artist and audio designer. I wanted to create a simple game that could be easily added to in the future, as well as being intuitive to most players.
To achieve this, we established a few rules for running the laundromat. White and red clothes should not mix, each machine can hold up to 2 loads of clothes, and for every load one scoop of soap is required. This, combined with the fixed 6-second wash time of the machines, only 2 machines available and the running patience timer of each customer, meant that there was a clear optimal route for players to take, which rewarded them appropriately. Players opting to run the machine with less soap, only 1 load or mixing colours were punished by earning less money than those who ran the machine correctly. Money and soap would carry into the next level, as well as additional units of each being provided at the start of a new day.
Level Design
The developer provided a CSV file, allowing rapid changes to the level design and visualisation via Excel. The aim was to make 3 enjoyable tutorial levels, stopping the game at a point where we would want to introduce more complicated elements such as a shop to upgrade the laundromat equipment. The division went as follows: Level 1 taught the basic mechanics including not mixing colours and the ideal number of clothes/soap to include. Level 2 introduced more mixed loads and at a faster pace, requiring players to grasp machine management and teaching them to load two customer's clothes into the same machine to save time. Level 3 was for money management, as it was the only level that did not give players additional money in the start. This level also introduced customers with 3 piles of laundry, requiring more planning on the part of players.
I assigned each type of client a difficulty rating and calculated the difficulty by assigning the clients in order, as well as their seconds of patience and time in between each client. I aimed to have a balance between the arrival of clients, both to not overwhelm players but to keep them alert when planning if they should wait for a matching load of clothes to arrive or not. The level was designed in a way that it is possible to play optimally within the allotted time.
Prototypes and Testing
The prototype was developed in under 24 hours, allowing for quick level design and testing of the same. While we did not have time to test with players prior to the submission period, each stage of the game was tested for a variety of player types.
What Went Right
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Workflow was well-optimised, allowing for the team to rapidly develop and submit assets within the timeframe
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The game was completed on time with minimal crunch
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Game was polished and well-received by players
What I Learnt
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I was able to develop my documentation skills to allow for better communication
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I honed my ideation and level design skills​
What Went Wrong
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Delay in some assets due to difference in timezones and remote work
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There was no time to optimise game for browser or mobile, limiting access
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Some players felt the money management was not helpful to their experience
How I Overcame It
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The team discussed the communication issues and conducted our post-mortem to develop a better workflow for future projects
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The game would be optimised for mobile or browser in the future if we decide to continue with this project
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It was discussed that the context of the shop could have been added