Project Info
Genre: VR Spellcasting Roguelike
Duration: 4 Months
Team: 2 Developers
Role: Lead, Mechanics Designer & Level Designer
Skills: Project Management, Gameplay Design, Level Design, VR
Engine: Unreal Engine 5 & Steam VR
Itch Page: Swordsman-Link
Duration: 4 Months
Team: 2 Developers
Role: Lead, Mechanics Designer & Level Designer
Skills: Project Management, Gameplay Design, Level Design, VR
Engine: Unreal Engine 5 & Steam VR
Itch Page: Swordsman-Link
Project & Goal
- First-person VR action roguelike built around directional bullet deflection
- The Swordsman is played with a custom controller: A longsword with a motion tracker on the hilt
- The game's core pillar was to physically angle the sword to deflect enemy projectiles back at them
- Enemies would fire single projectiles or patterned projectile lines towards the player with set slashing directions
- Players additionally had the ability to create custom spells that could: Enchant the sword, Create shields, Change elemental states
- The Swordsman's progression structure was: Survive wave-based encounters, Choose branching dungeon paths, Earn rewards between levels, Descend towards a final boss encounter
- The Swordsman is played with a custom controller: A longsword with a motion tracker on the hilt
- The game's core pillar was to physically angle the sword to deflect enemy projectiles back at them
- Enemies would fire single projectiles or patterned projectile lines towards the player with set slashing directions
- Players additionally had the ability to create custom spells that could: Enchant the sword, Create shields, Change elemental states
- The Swordsman's progression structure was: Survive wave-based encounters, Choose branching dungeon paths, Earn rewards between levels, Descend towards a final boss encounter
Origin & Evolution
- Initially developed as a university prototype where we were tasked with creating a game with a unique controller; we decided to utilise a physical longsword controller fitted with a VR motion tracker
- Post uni submission, we used that project as a proof-of-concept and created a new project that was a polished and replayable VR roguelike
- Post uni submission, we used that project as a proof-of-concept and created a new project that was a polished and replayable VR roguelike
My Work
Lead Designer
- Defined and guided the overall creative and mechanical vision
- Designed all core gameplay systems: Deflection, Bullet direction, Traversing through the dungeon, Spell system. Ensuring that every mechanic reinforced the design pillars and game loop
- Directed iteration based on playtesting feedback
- Worked closely with the technical developer to align our design vision
- Scoped features realistically to the 2 person developer team
- Designed all core gameplay systems: Deflection, Bullet direction, Traversing through the dungeon, Spell system. Ensuring that every mechanic reinforced the design pillars and game loop
- Directed iteration based on playtesting feedback
- Worked closely with the technical developer to align our design vision
- Scoped features realistically to the 2 person developer team
Directional Deflection
- Designed the core deflection system that worked on Real-world sword angle, Timing precision, Swing velocity
- Ensured that outcomes were physically skill based rather than input based
- Built combat pacing and loop entirely around projectile interaction
- Balanced risk/reward of aggressive deflection vs defensive play
- Ensured that outcomes were physically skill based rather than input based
- Built combat pacing and loop entirely around projectile interaction
- Balanced risk/reward of aggressive deflection vs defensive play
Spell & Element System Design
- Designed a fully customisable spell system to expand decision making during combat
- Created elemental states that alter every spell's affects to counter enemy weaknesses and resistances
- Ensured that spells enhanced gameplay, not replacing the core pillar
- Created elemental states that alter every spell's affects to counter enemy weaknesses and resistances
- Ensured that spells enhanced gameplay, not replacing the core pillar
Enemy Design
- I designed all enemy types to utilise and challenge the different features and mechanics. Each tests a specific player skill
- Structured escalation from single pressure enemies to multi-layered encounters: increasing difficulty throughout
- Built final boss around the combination of all the enemy mechanics that the player has learnt
- Structured escalation from single pressure enemies to multi-layered encounters: increasing difficulty throughout
- Built final boss around the combination of all the enemy mechanics that the player has learnt
Gameplay Loop
- I designed the full roguelike loop: Survive waves > Choose path > Gain reward > Escalate difficulty
- Implemented branching pathways to add replayability and player agency
- Balanced rewards so choices felt meaningful rather than cosmetic
- Implemented branching pathways to add replayability and player agency
- Balanced rewards so choices felt meaningful rather than cosmetic
VR Interaction
- Worked on aligning a tracked physical longsword to in-game movement with virtual weapons
- Focused on accurate swing mapping and preventing motion sickness
- Ensured that feedback on deflection was clear through visuals and physical vibration
- Later introduced standard VR controller support to make the game more accessible and scalable
- Focused on accurate swing mapping and preventing motion sickness
- Ensured that feedback on deflection was clear through visuals and physical vibration
- Later introduced standard VR controller support to make the game more accessible and scalable
Accessibility
- Invited external playtesters and gathered structured feedback
- We identified an issue where colourblind players struggled to differentiate between projectile types (which direction to deflect). We added accessibility options for colourblind players and an option to display which direction to deflect the projectile to make it visibly more clear
- Implemented slicing teleport traversal to keep movement comfortable in VR
- We identified an issue where colourblind players struggled to differentiate between projectile types (which direction to deflect). We added accessibility options for colourblind players and an option to display which direction to deflect the projectile to make it visibly more clear
- Implemented slicing teleport traversal to keep movement comfortable in VR
Level Design
- Designed the branching dungeon structure and created all levels
- Focused on clean sightlines and space to support projectile-heavy combat
- Ensured that each level felt visually distinct to make sure player's knew which paths they could take through the environment and where enemies will appear in combat
- First attempt at professional level design, the following images showcase screenshots from each level:
- Focused on clean sightlines and space to support projectile-heavy combat
- Ensured that each level felt visually distinct to make sure player's knew which paths they could take through the environment and where enemies will appear in combat
- First attempt at professional level design, the following images showcase screenshots from each level:
