The Library Wizard, or more simply just 'Library Wizard', is what I lovingly titled this assigment from my favorite university class, where I was tasked with creating prototype games under varying constraints and targets biweekly.
For the final of the semester semester, I was to pick a prototype to expand upon it to it's full realization as a complete game, and this is that final project.
The focus of the class this was assigned was on methods and techniques for rapid digital prototyping and constrained mechanical iteration, this particular assignment starting life as a game protoype based on certain conditions and restrictions imposed, which I then touched up and saw to completion at the end of the semester as a final.
Conditions imposed for this assigment included, but were not limited to:
◦ a specific keyboard control scheme, ◦ 800x600 resolution, ◦ it must somehow be themed around "libraries," ◦ it must include at least 3 unique collectables which increase score by different amounts, ◦ and it must have at least 3 levels or stages.
When this project began it's life as a mere protoype, I was able to quickly reach a minimum-viable-product state fairly quickly, so being somewhat ahead, much of this game was already completed when it came time to give it another two to bring it to completion.
In total between the four weeks it was worked on, I'd estimate this game took roughly 20-30 hours to complete in total.
I am personally quite fond of this project, despite it's quirks. I really seemed to thrive in an environment that pushed me in to be creative with designing systems under a tight deadline, as I was always really excited to show my work, and to show this project off to my professor in particular. I may have had some experience prior in coding as well as the gamemaker engine which gave me a bit of a leg up, but nothing has boosted my confidence about creating, managing, and coding inside of a 2d game engine environment and the basics of platformer systems like this class has.
While recovering and porting this project to play in an html5 environment (not an easy task), I was able to immediately recognize my growth, in that I quickly recognized many parts of this which I would not repeat the same way. I feel as though if I were tasked with remaking this same project again, I'd not only be able to do it even better, but significantly faster, too. Perhaps that is something I'd be interested in doing one day. Overall, for where I was in my learning career at the time I could not be more proud of what I managed to do.
Click here to download the game for Windows! Click here to download the gamemaker project!