Katie Wood Clark
Interactive Designer | Production Coordinator
Robbin' Robin
Development
Responsibilities
Downloads
-
Managed four team members throughout the full development process.
-
Designed and created the first two levels of the project.
-
Wrote and revised various in-game informational text and narrative text.
Role: Project Lead and Level Designer
Genre: 2D Stealth-based Puzzle Game
Engine: Unity 4
Team Size: 5-6 Developers
Team Name: Bad Axes
Development Time: 8 Weeks
RTM Date: December 2014
Robbin' Robin Trailer
Game Overview
Robbin’ Robin focuses on using stealth and interactions with the environment as means to solving puzzles. Players observe both the environment and the enemies’ movements to determine how to complete their goals, including avoiding guards, gathering food, and using switches to interact with the environment. As players progress, they pick up collectible items. This game remains appropriate for a younger audience by foregoing violence and focusing on exploring alternative solutions to problems. It also utilizes a fun, humorous narrative to engage the player.
Story Synopsis
Robbin’ Robin’s narrative centers around the bedtime story an anthropomorphic raccoon named Robin Raccoon tells to his grandson or grand-kit in this case. When the evil Prince Peter Pig the third takes his village's food, Robin must sneak into the prince’s castle in order to get it back. As he progresses through the castle, Robin finds small food items throughout as well as a large food stash at the end of the game. After finding all of the stashes, the grandfather, later revealed to be Robin himself, tucks his grand-kit into bed.
Game Playthrough
Steath-Based, Puzzle Gameplay
Utilzing stealth and interactions with the environment as means to solving puzzles.
Humorous, Lighthearted Tone and Narrative
Creating a pun-filled narrative meant to engage and entertain players.
Engaging, Anthropomorphic Characters
Develop humanized creatures that demonstrate personality and character.
Design Pillars
Maps and Walkthrough
Player Objectives
Overall Objective:
The player’s primary objective is to recover enough food for Robin’s family to survive. Robin Raccoon accomplishes this goal by:
-
avoiding capture by the Patrol Pigs
-
successfully completing each level
-
reaching Prince Peter Pig III’s feast, which is located at the top of the tower
The player’s secondary objectives are:
-
to collect the food items scattered throughout each level
-
to navigate each level’s environmental puzzles by
-
flipping levers
-
riding crates that are attached to cranes
-
hiding in darkness
-
Level 1: "Bacon Care of Business"
Quick Summary
With a hunger for vengeance, Robin Raccoon approaches one of Prince Peter Pig the third’s many staggering stone towers. This dilapidated structure is currently under renovation, providing easily accessible scaffolding and crates. Determined and dedicated to his cause, the thief begins to scale the building, avoiding lurking Patrol Pigs along the way. “Bacon Care of Business” presents quite a few simplistic game mechanics including hiding in the shadows, traversing through trapdoors, flipping levers, and riding moving crates.
Lvl 1: Area 1
Gameplay/Story
-
Robin Raccoon begins on the first floor of the tower, launching his climb. Suddenly, the player spots the delicious looking collectible to their right. As the player runs toward the item, Robin passes a tutorial text banner.
-
By pressing the ‘A’ button on the Xbox controller, the game freezes briefly and Grandpa Raccoon presents informational banter regarding the level’s layout [D1]. Players may skip this commentary.
-
Robin Raccoon once again moves to the right and reaches another informational banner. Grandpa Raccoon pauses the game and briefly details the gameplay mechanics involved with hiding in the dark and avoiding lights [D2].
-
After reading the dialog, the player continues along the hallway and inadvertently steps into a nearby torch’s light. Robin also grabs the turkey leg bathed in the light’s rays.
-
With the food in hand, the player continues moving to the right, pausing below a thin dark brown platform. Once again, a popup appears relaying textual information to the player [D3].
-
By pressing “up” on the D Pad or the Analog Stick, Robin Raccoon’s sprite orients to the nearest trapdoor and bounds through the hatch.
Dialog
[D1] Grandpa Raccoon: "Now as I recall the tower was under construction and had quite a bit of scaffolding for me to climb up.” Those pesky Patrol Pigs were no threat to me while I was sneaking around in the dark! I just ran on past as if I were a ghost or ninja...or ghost ninja!"
[D2] Grandpa Raccoon: "Uh Oh! Almost forgot! When I was in the darkness I was as hidden as a squirrel on Fridays..." Grand-Kit: "Grandpa, that doesn't make any sense..." Grandpa Raccoon: "Have you ever bumped into a squirrel ready for the weekend? Get outta' their way! Anyhow light beams made me really visible to nearby guards."
[D3] Grandpa Raccoon: "Ok so when I wanted to move up or down floors, I had to press 'up' or 'down' on the D-Pad or Analog Stick. I am sure this only happened when I was under one of these thin light brown platforms containing trapdoors. Right about now I scooted on through one of those hatches."
Lvl 1: Area 2
Gameplay/Story
-
On the second floor, a fourth Grandpa Raccoon dialog session details the lever’s mechanics [D4]. When the screen unfreezes, the player proceeds to the right and flips the lever. The player interacts with levers by pressing the ‘A’ button.
-
The portcullis raises and Robin subsequently moves back to the left and hops down to the first floor.
-
Robin moves to the right and grabs the cake item.
-
With the cake gathered, Robin moves back up to the second floor.
Dialog
[D4] Grandpa Raccoon: "I always flipped all the levers I found because they usually caused something good to happen in the environment like raising gates. To do this, I had to press the A button or press up on the Analog Stick and D-Pad."
Lvl 1: Area 3
Gameplay/Story
-
As Robin Raccoon continues along the second floor, the player notices several pieces of food guarded by a stationary Patrol Pig. Grandpa Raccoon interrupts gameplay to explain the enemy’s change in movement [D5].
-
When Robin Raccoon steps into the light, the Patrol Pig spies the raccoon and lumbers over to his position. Consequently, the player presses “up” and jumps to the third floor. [WOW Moment]
Dialog
[D5] Grand-Kit: "Grandpa, what was that piggy doing over there?" Grandpa Raccoon: "Almost forgot, that Patrol Pig was looking over in my direction. When I stepped into the light, he spotted me right away and came chasing after me! Once a Patrol Pig saw me, he knew where I was whether I was in the dark or not." Grandpa Raccoon: "The only way I was able to escape was to hop up or down a floor. They eventually gave up and returned to their original patrol."
Lvl 1: Area 4
Gameplay/Story
-
When Robin Raccoon reaches the third floor, the player encounters a new form of Patrol Pig. Instead of merely residing in a single location, these Patrol Pig’s move along a set path, indicated above by the red arrows. The player must wait until the Patrol Pig moves and faces away from Robin Raccoon’s intended position.
-
Once out of the Patrol Pigs’ vision, Robin Raccoon may run to the left through the light, grabbing a food item along the way.
-
After reaching the thin brown platforms, Robin Raccoon must bound through the trapdoors to the fourth floor.
Lvl 1: Area 5
Gameplay/Story
-
On the fourth floor of “Bacon Care of Business,” Robin Raccoon spies a patrolling pig wandering the halls. As soon as the pig turns to the right, the player scurries through the first two light beams.
-
Once through the first two lights, Robin can easily flip the blue lever by pressing the ‘A’ button. This connection raises the portcullis located on the sixth floor.
-
As the Patrol Pig walks back to the left, Robin is free to slip through the second pair of lights and continue forward.
Lvl 1: Area 6
Gameplay/Story
-
The fourth floor of “Bacon Care of Business” introduces a unique environmental mechanic involving crate movement. As Robin reaches the moving crate, the player must wait for the object to fully lower and align with the fourth floor.
-
Once the platform properly aligns, Robin Raccoon moves to the right thereby boarding the crate. As the crate climbs upward, the player briefly quits shifting Robin’s position.
-
At the height of the crates movement, the player moves Robin Raccoon to the left toward the center of the fifth floor, grabbing the food item along the way.
Lvl 1: Area 7
Gameplay/Story
-
On the fifth floor, Robin Raccoon moves to the left, pausing outside of the light’s beams.
-
As the rotating Patrol Pig turns away, Robin moves to the left and subsequently bounds up to the sixth floor.
Lvl 1: Area 8
Gameplay/Story
-
At the sixth floor, Robin Raccoon moves quickly to the left and flips the green lever.
-
The green lever raises the portcullis located on the fifth floor.
-
With the lever flipped, the player moves back to the right and jumps down to the fifth floor.
Lvl 1: Area 9
Gameplay/Story
-
Once on the fifth floor, Robin Raccoon moves to the left, grabbing two food items along the way.
-
With the green portcullis raised, Robin can move through the gate and pause at the edge of the floor.
-
The final crate moves down and aligns with the fifth floor. Robin boards the crate, riding the crate toward the level’s conclusion. [WOW Moment]
Level 2: "Oink Oink! Who's There?"
Quick Summary
At the beginning of the second level, “Oink! Oink! Who’s There?,” Robin Raccoon emerges from the bottom of the game screen riding atop a crate. Robin Raccoon resumes his arduous climb across wooden scaffolding. “Oink! Oink! Who’s There?” does not provide any new gameplay. However, this level does provide slightly more complex puzzles than its predecessor does. This is the second level of four in the game.
Lvl 2: Area 1
Gameplay/Story
-
The “Oink! Oink! Who’s There?” level opens with Robin Raccoon slowly ascending to the level’s first floor via the crate seen in the previous areas.
-
To begin, the player moves Robin Raccoon to the right, subsequently exiting the crate and entering the first floor. A single, moving Patrol Pig goes back and forth along the red path.
-
The player encounters a pop-up informational banner and presses ‘A’ to read Grandpa Raccoon and Grand-Kit banter. [D1]
-
In order to avoid this enemy, the player must pause outside the first of two torches’ light. When the Patrol Pig faces to the right, Robin Raccoon may freely dash through the first torch’s light. Between the two torches, Robin may need to pause if the Patrol Pig turns to the left.
-
The player encounters another pop-up informational banner and presses ‘A’ to read Grandpa Raccoon and Grand-Kit banter. [D2]
-
If or when the Patrol Pig faces right, the player once again dashes through the second pair of torches on the first floor.
-
Free from the Patrol Pig’s line of vision, the player moves Robin over to the lever. By pressing “A,” Robin Raccoon switches on the lever. This connection raises the red gate located on the fifth floor.
-
Robin Raccoon bounds through the trapdoor in the ceiling and enters the second floor.
Dialog
[D1] Grandpa: "Now that we had a little break Grand-Kit, where was I?" Grand-Kit: "I'm pretty sure you had just ridden up to the second part of the tower!" Grandpa: "Oh right, you are so smart! I wonder where you get it from...*wink* *wink*"
[D2] Grandpa: "Man you kids had it so good these days. We used to ride crates with rope attached to go up floors." Grand-Kit: "Grandpa, we still do that..." Grandpa: "*Cough* *Cough* anyway back to the story..."
Lvl 2: Area 2
Gameplay/Story
-
From this new position, Robin Raccoon notices one moving Patrol Pig and two bright torches. Incorporating the hiding mechanic, Robin moves to the left and hovers just outside the beams until the Patrol Pig turns left. When the coast is clear, the black and gray thief quickly dashes through the first of two bright spotlights.
-
Currently between the two torches and under a thin brown platform, Robin Raccoon may bound up to the third tier.
Lvl 2: Area 3
Gameplay/Story
-
Robin’s next objective involves running past a rotating pig and collecting a food item.
-
Due to the turning Patrol Pig, the player must hesitate until the guard turns to the left.
-
Once the opportunity arrives, Robin Raccoon runs to the right, grabbing the turkey leg and bounding to the fourth floor.
Lvl 2: Area 4
Gameplay/Story
-
Once on the fourth floor of “Oink! Oink! Who’s There?,” Robin Raccoon quickly moves to the right and boards a moving crate.
-
As the crate rises, the player moves onto the small alcove to the left of Robin. This ledge contains the blue lever.
-
When the player reaches the lever, Robin may activate the switch and raise the blue portcullis on the fifth floor.
-
Robin must then wait until the moving crate realigns with the ledge and subsequently board again.
Lvl 2: Area 5
Gameplay/Story
-
Robin Raccoon moves to the left on the sixth floor pausing outside of the first light beams.
-
When the moving Patrol Pig walks to the left, Robin Raccoon must slowly stalk behind the pig. Robin gathers food along the journey.
-
If the Patrol Pig turns back to the right, Robin Raccoon must pause in darkness and wait for the pig to pass by.
-
As the Patrol Pig continues to move to the right, Robin must quickly move to the left and flip the green lever. This connection raises the green portcullis.
Lvl 2: Area 6
Gameplay/Story
-
Robin Raccoon moves onto the crate and rides back down to the fourth floor.
-
Once on the fourth floor, Robin moves to the left and into the light.
-
The stationary Patrol Pig triggers upon spotting Robin Raccoon. The player subsequently jumps to the fifth floor and moves to the left.
Lvl 2: Area 7
Gameplay/Story
-
With the three portcullises raised, Robin Raccoon may proceed through the gates and reach the final moving crate. [WOW moment]
-
Once the final moving crate aligns with the fifth floor, the player may move atop the crate.
-
The crate lifts Robin to the next level and consequently ends “Oink, Oink, Who’s There?”
What Went Well:
-
During the course of development, I encouraged the Bad Axes team
members through humor and collaboration. Motivating the group in this
manner allowed each individual to comfortably interact and discuss the
game.
-
After the initial design of level one and two, I found my puzzles quite fun
and challenging. However, I took the extra time to develop and expand upon
the design.
-
As a lead, a heavy portion of the documentation’s completion fell to me. I took
up the assignment and assisted in completing a majority of the GDD and ADP.
What Went Wrong:
-
Despite my best efforts as a leader, certain members of the team seemed to overtake discussion. I needed to intervene and interrupt more often in order to refocus the conversation.
-
Throughout development, I struggled to utilize perforce effectively. It seemed I constantly had issues with submitting meta files.
What I Learned:
-
Over the course of development, I grew as a leader. I learned that being assertive with individuals is not necessarily a negative aspect of leadership. If the advice is constructive and respectful, the confrontational process can be rewarding.
-
In Level Design 1, level designers were briefly introduced to the Unity game engine. However, the Team Game Production course gave me a greater insight into how to effectively utilize the software.
-
As a game developer, I learned to accept tester feedback and adapt appropriately. I need to consider critiques as helpful instead of harmful.
