How well did I achieve the goal I set out to achieve?
Earlier in the semester I set out to make Press S To Fall. The game would consist of the player and their related mechanics, spikes/lava, moving platforms, door and keys, coins and no fall zones. The game would have 2 levels in it, an easy introduction and a difficult application of the mechanics.
As the semester went on, I realised that this scope was too small, and I found that within the first 2 weeks I would be able to complete this easily. I had begun by programming the mechanics, and upon completion started adding more and more levels.
Mechanically the game is complete as I set out, however I have seven levels instead of just two. As such the game is a far more complete project than it initially would have been.
The last thing that I wanted from the project was experience, and to have a published project on my portfolio. And, both of these have been achieved.
My growth as a game development professional
Working on Press S To Fall has given me some insight into many facets of game development. To begin with, it gave me another chance to produce/scope a project as well as work on game and level design. I also gained significant experience with the Unity 2D engine and boosted my programming skills.
Press S To Fall gave me the opportunity to try out sound design and 2D art/animation with sprites. Although this may not be complete knowledge of these fields, having a basic understanding of the workflow will help in future roles of production, now that I understand what it takes for these roles.
In order of how the project panned out, Press S To Fall also allowed me to conduct my own playtesting and QA testing. As a designer, these can be vital skills to have since towards the end of the development cycle, designers have less design work to do and generally take on other roles.
Lastly, as the game is finished, I now have a project in my portfolio that is complete and published. This is fantastic as having a published game is a common ask on job applications. It also sets me up to have a good project that prospective employers will see when they visit my portfolio.
Industry Positioning
One daunting requirement on game development job applications is having a published game, more so than the development of the game my goal to publish Press S To Fall positions more very well within the industry. It is an excellent reflection of my skills and who I am, and offers me a great conversation starter for the future.
Above all else, I believe that the game shows off my game design and level design skills, which are what I want and need to show off the most. And having experience in many aspects of game development also helps me for indie teams, where team members need to be versatile and have many skills.