LabeRATion
Laberation is a game inspired by "the hunger for freedom", in a world of cat and mouse where instincts are the natural and the prey strive for freedom, under the tyranny of cats.
In a world where humans are extinct due to the release of a virus created by rats, the surviving animals are left with only their primal instincts intact. In the present day, cats have taken over and forced rats into slavery and experimentation a punishment for their actions, but one lucky rat has escaped the Laboratory and is on the run!
And that's where your journey begins.
My First developed game
What i worked on?
Laberation was collaborative university project, where we each had assigned roles. My main roles included UI/UX development, concept art and player functional controls. I coded the functionality of the main menu buttons, such as "PLAY," "CREDITS," "EXIT," and "BACK," ensuring they worked correctly. I also assisted in other areas of development. This experience gave me a glimpse into the development cycle of a game from an indie studio, as I had to take on more than just one role and supporting others on an ad hoc basis.
Game Concept
The concept of Laberation revolves around traversing several distinct levels: the Laboratory, the Mutated Spider Area (essentially a corridor) and the Supplies Cupboard (guarded by mutated dogs) as the final destination.
Within each level, the player encounters a remaining experimented animal who becomes a friend. These friends, a frog, a pig and a fox, offer the player items that can either benefit or hinder their journey. The player has the agency to accept their guidance or forge ahead independently.
Future iterations of the game would introduce collectibles that contribute to in-game achievements and buffs that offer various benefits, including health restoration, increased strength and checkpoints. Notably, some powerful buffs that aid in defeating boss enemies would be exclusive rewards for befriending these interactive AI companions.
See the game art below
Reflecting on game development
Creating this game was a lot of fun, especially coming up with new ideas and seeing it all come together. However, there are several aspects I would improve, such as the health bar mechanics and enemy AI collision.
For the health bar, I initially envisioned a system where health would decrease by losing hearts. However, due to time constraints and unforeseen issues with collision code, this wasn't implemented. Similarly, the player couldn't lose health upon enemy collision, nor could they kill enemies by stepping on their heads. To address this, we implemented kill points that would destroy enemies upon contact. My improvement would be to have the player kill enemies by jumping on them, eliminating the need for kill points.
