Shot In the Dark
Desgin & Code & Art: FoxMiao | Time: 1 Weeks | Engine: Unity
Game Type: PvP
Player Goal: Kill each other
Scop: 1-3min gameplay
Shot in the Dark is a PVP game in which players can only see each other (and themselves) when they shoot. The goal is to hit every other player.
This is a very simple stealth and stalking game that is done by using Universal Rendering Pipeline (URP) in 2D.
The players only see themselves when they are shooting. The bullet lights up its surrounding area and leaves a light trail behind.
Players will also see a very visible trail behind them when they move under a light source.
Design Process
Shot in the Dark is a one-week project that I did for the game design challenge, and the topic of the week was Multiplayer Games.
Due to the time we have, I need a game that is easy to understand, has tone of replayability, and support two player.
I watched a tone review of a vintage video game and one of the games in “Action 52” from Saga Genesis. This game is nowhere close to a good game, but the idea is cool: The player can only see where the enemy is when they kill one.
So, I changed the idea a bit; instead of killing the enemy to see the room:
Two players can only see each other, the level, and even themselves from the light of the bullet.
Diagram
This diagram is the player's gameplay loop.
It is very simple as it shows; players will move around, get shot to find out where the enemy and themself is, and maybe shoot again until they feel like they need to hide in the shadows and move in the darkness.
This diagram shows how the Unity system works.
Everything is very straightforward; the only usual thing is the URP(Universal Render Pipeline). Shot in The Dark is 2D game, and 2D object can only receive light with URP.
I use this game to learn how to use URP in my future project.
The Right feel
Even though the code structure and flow were easy, I still spent a lot of time making the game “feel right.”
The most crucial action in this game is the shooting/lighting part.
When a player shoots, the direction they are facing lit up, and they light up as well; it is the key design for this game: high risk, high reward.
The bullets also have light, and when they hit a wall, lights run to illuminate the area around them.
Also, when the player moves, there are tails behind them, so another player will have a better chance to find them.
Flow of the Game
The intro screen is very important to the player, thats is where they learn the game and have an idea of what is going on.
I don’t want to put a separate page that teaches players how the controller works, and for local multiplayer games, forgetting input could happen, so I put the input on each side of the screen.
The room is not fully dark but is dark enough to make players understand the main point of the game, and players get to see how they move in the game, so they won’t get lost when the room goes dark.
The only big difference from this to an actual level is the lighting, and there are no obstacles in the way.
Something needs to be fixed: Some players get confused; they think this level is a real level, not just a tutorial
Real Combat
The real level come with three different room layout in a dark room.
The room starts with light fade into the dark, so players have a view of the room before the combat begins,
Everything is very straightforward, there are walls that stop bullets, there are huge cubes that make players harder to move,
Future planning
After many different playtests, Shot In The Dark receives very good feedback, but there are still things that can be better, and players want to see the potential of the game.
The trails are too long and a bit distracting, and the pace of the game is a bit too quick because the lighting is very wide.
Other than those issues, players want to add a lot of different stuff to the game.
Wish List
Bigger map
Different areas (Bounce wall, slow down field, area that is always under light…)
Different weapon
Different power-ups(Area attack, speed up, continuous light source…)