• Q: Is the game still being worked on?
• A: Yes, as of April 2024, the game is still under development.
• Q: What's the game going to be about?
• A: It's a puzzle platformer with storytelling elements.
• Q: Are the images in the slideshow taken directly from the game?
• A: Yes and no. The images are there to show proof of the fact that I am working on the game. They display the very early stages of the game development.
• Q: How long has the game been under development?
• A: Since July 2021.
• Q: The game has been in development for 3 years (at the time of writing), what have you been up to in all those years?
• A: When I began this journey in 2021, I lacked experience working on a project of this scale, aside from game jam entries and micro-games. Additionally, as the sole developer, I work on every aspect of game development. Over the past 3 years, I've focused on developing all the necessary systems for a fully functional experience. Some of these systems are listed in the Features section. Therefore, my primary focus has been on the technical aspects of development.
• Q: What's the current state of the game?
• A: Once I'm satisfied with the core mechanics, I'll transition to the graphical aspects of the game. This includes creating 3D models, UI, VFX, and level design. I'll also begin implementing dialogue to develop the game's story.
• Q: Do you have a git repo for the game?
• A: Yes, although it is private. Fun fact: one of the very first commits I made to Git was the porting from Unity Collaborate to SCM Plastic. That's when Unity was transitioning from one version control to another. Long story short, I lost all the commits I had made on Collaborate up to that point (a whole year's worth of commits). Thankfully Unity made available the option to export and save the history of all the commits, which I did, but then my computer broke down shortly after and, well... I learned a lesson that day: always backup your backups.

Feel free to skip to the next section, Project Description, if you resonate with one of the following:

• I am a very busy individual, I can only spare a few minutes of my time.
• I am only interested in a general overview of the game.

Motivations

This section briefly explains what pushed me to make the (foolish) decision to work on a project that started out as a simple game jam entry, but soon developed into a more ambitious project.

It all started in july 2021 after struggling to get a job in the games industry, or just a job as a programmer in general. At some point, I found myself thinking about what I could possibly do to make myself stand out even more than what I had already done up until that moment; I had a portfolio and a couple of projects under my belt as well as a university degree in games dev, but I was never quite able to be the candidate game companies would want to hire. This is when a thought occured to me:

"What if, instead of focusing on making micro-games, I take it up a notch and make a proper indie game? Even if I don't manage to complete it, this would definitely still be a testament to my hard work, and unwavering determination to get into the games industry no matter how long it's gonna take me."

Over the past year and a half (at the time of writing this), I have wholeheartedly dedicated my time and efforts to the development of this game. Despite encountering the typical ups and downs, moments of low motivation, and the inevitable challenges that arise along the way, I have remained steadfast in my commitment to see this project through to completion, regardless of the time it may require. I hope that the journey itself, rather than the final outcome, is what enables me to get a step closer to my goal of getting into the games industry. This is why I consciously chose to embark on a larger-scale project, as it allows me to fully channel my passion for game development and my aspirations for a career in the industry.

Note: It is NOT my intention to dimish the value of micro-games or game jam entries. I firmly believe that creating such games can provide immensely valuable experiences. However, I have noticed that these formats may not encompass the breadth and depth of the game development process, the full range of challenges and opportunities that arise when working on a more ambitious project independently.

No Gimmicks

What is so special about this project?

The fact that, from a technical standpoint, this game is being developed by one person (me, myself and my ego) without using any 3rd party assets (e.g. from the Unity Store or anywhere else). The game and its every mechanic, system and asset is being built entirely from scratch.

A 3D low-poly puzzle platformer where the player can make use of up to 3 power-ups simultaneously to overcome obstacles and solve environmental puzzles. The game heavily relies on level design to achieve harmony between different combination of powers up, so that one power up does not negavitely affect the others.

Unlike all my previous projects where I focused more on the graphics side of things first; I would usually create all my assets first, place them in the scene, and only then would I start working on the mechanics of the game. With Project OneTime, however, I have made a complete U-turn and decided to focus on the game logic first.

INSTEAD OF THIS LIST, MAKE AN HORIZONTAL SWIPER LIKE BEFORE WHERE EACH POINT CAN BE EXPANDED THAT CONTAINS MORE INFO. AN IMAGE/VIDEO REPRESENTING THE SYSTEM, AND A SHORT DESCRIPTION.

In its current state the game features the following:

• Power Up System
• Power Up Database
• Dialogue System
• Save & Load System
• Day/Night Cycle System
• Hunger/Thirst System
• Random Events System
• More than 10 unique power ups
• More than 10 different obstacles types
• A playground scene where all the above and any additional mechanics are tested
• Several tutorial levels
• Main Menu