Steam Bump
ROLES
Game Designer
Level Designer
Sound Design
DESCRIPTION
Steam Bump is an online multiplayer game in which you control a flying machine with the goal of reducing your opponent's health to zero by bonking them into walls to destroy their drone. The player with the most points after 5 rounds wins the match!
You're equipped with 2 abilities: A quick multidirectional dash and a hook.
You need to use that hook to hit your enemies, propel yourself toward them, and bonk them into a wall to damage them, but be cautious; when you miss your shot, you will be stunned, and your opponents can counterattack.
Each match is split up into 5 rounds. A round is over whenever only one player is left alive. Then each player is awarded points based on the order they died in. At the end of round 5 the player with the most points wins. If there is a tie between multiple players, these player will fight it out in a final tie breaker round.
RELEASE
July 2 2020
GENRE
TEAM MEMBERS
9
Action Party Game
PLATFORM
PC - itch.io
Duration
8 Weeks
Gameplay Video
LEVEL DESIGN
Arena
For my first multidisciplinary project, I wanted to explore level design for the first time. This proved to be quite challenging, as it was also my first time working on a multiplayer game. Additionally, since our player characters could fly, managing verticality became a significant design hurdle. After struggling with creating a balanced play space, a teacher suggested I look into Descent for inspiration.
I began by sketching a rough layout in SketchUp, dividing the space into eight distinct areas; four on the bottom and four on the top. My goal was to design obstacles that would allow players to take cover when under attack, while also providing opportunities for emergent gameplay moments. Given our steampunk theme, I envisioned the arena as a closed-off factory filled with steel pipes and bursts of steam. Over time, the design evolved to include steam vents that players could use to obscure their line of sight while flying through the space.
Due to our limited time frame and my role extending beyond level design, I wasn’t able to iterate as much as I would have liked. Throughout the level design process, I was also responsible for character camera and controller balancing along with the other designers, which required significant attention. As a result, my time was divided, limiting the amount of refinement I could apply to the level. So as the project neared completion, we added small details such as ground clutter and wall-mounted machines to enhance the environment. While more set dressing would have further enriched the world, time constraints limited our ability to expand on these elements.
Blockout & Development screenshots
Sound Effects
To enhance the player experience, I created multiple sound effects that added depth and feedback to the gameplay. These included a flying sound for player movement, allowing players to hear when others were nearby, as well as impact sounds for collisions with walls or other players. I also designed audio cues for key abilities, such as dashing, activating a shield, and using a hook pull, ensuring players had clear auditory signals for their actions. Due to time constraints and deadlines, I wasn’t able to implement music, but I believe it could have significantly strengthened the game's overall atmosphere and theme.