TEMPO
Game Designer
Tempo is a rhythm-based fighting game where you play as a tambourine turtle to defeat other players. Input attacks on the beat of the song to deal damage and KO your opponents!
Click here or on the image to go the the Itch page. The game was a hit at the USC Underground Games show!
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
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Engineered the character movement system
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Designed the 6 attacks (3 grounded, 3 aerial)
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Implemented i-frame dodging
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Refined gameplay based on playtest results
CONTENTS
Combat Design Overview
Top: Confirmation screen for battle
Bottom: Spritesheets for the special attack and the jump animation
Art credit to Austin Fuad
DESIGN GOALS FOR COMBAT
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Players should "feel the rhythm" of the song and make precise inputs accordingly
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Players should be rewarded for aggression, but defensive options should not be ignored
GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
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KOs: Die the least in the multiplayer lobby before the time runs out to win
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Offense: Input attacks on the beat of the song to deal damage and knockback to opponents
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Defense: Dodge attacks with a dodge button and jump to recover from offstage
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Neutral: Dash away and from opponents to close the distance; poke with certain attacks
CHARACTER OVERVIEW
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Tambourine Turtle
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A turtle with a tambourine as its shell
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It uses cymbals and its tail as weapons
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Design Process Deep Dive
Top: Grounded attacks demonstration
Bottom: Aerial attacks demonstration
PROBLEM 1: COMBAT OPTIONS
CONTEXT
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Initial Idea: Make a combo system with different attacks as starters, bridges, and finishers
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Situation: Short development time meant there was no scope for a combo system
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Task: Provide different options for player combat
ACTIONS
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Created a system with 3 types of attacks for the Tambourine Turtle: light, heavy, and special
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Each attack has an aerial variant for further variety
RESULTS
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Gameplay Outcome: Players used more attack types in combat, especially in the air
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Takeaway: Simple solutions sometimes yield the best results, especially with time pressure
Top: Dodging demonstration
Bottom: Dashing demonstration
PROBLEM 2: DODGING
CONTEXT
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Initial Idea: Dodging should be inputted on the beat, just like attacks should be inputted
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Situation: Dodging was very hard to use, so players ignored this feature and stuck to movement
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Task: Make dodging more forgiving to players
ACTIONS
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Allowed dodging to be inputted whenever (not just on the beat), which protected players against mistakes like dashing into enemy attacks
RESULTS
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Gameplay Outcome: Players used dodging to increase their overall aggression like intended
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Takeaway: Gameplay elements are not set in stone -- they can change depending on the situation