Missile Game
September 14–19, 2022
Solo Project by Tristan Durocher
A chaotic survival arcade game that challenges the player to skirt the edge of danger as they outmaneuver waves of missiles. Players were hooked by the simplicity of the game and kept wanting to play again. The player's score ramps up as missiles are destroyed, but so does the difficulty. This small game was made as a school project.
The player's mechanics are extremely simple; they can move with WASD or arrow keys.
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Each missile spawns at a random position within a red rectangle that fades in over a few seconds. This gives the player a clear sign of upcoming danger to which they can react. It does not give them the missile's exact spawning position or rotation, which increases the game's chaos.
Red Rectangle of Doom
Missiles constantly seek the player. Unexpectedly, they bounce off walls, a feature that increases player interest and which can be used to their advantage or detriment. The player dies on contact with a missile or explosion.
Bounce, missile, bounce!
Ouch, these red things are pointy.
Missiles explode when they collide with each other, increasing the player's score. Missiles also explode when they fly into other explosions. Missiles and explosions are dangerous to the player, but the player must use them to their advantage.
Hide behind explosions for great results.
The missiles periodically gain upgrades, the natures of which are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The player will have to react to each upgrade differently as they alter the challenge in different ways.
The speed upgrade is especially dangerous. Now you're really dodging bullets.
Areas of Growth
Repetitive challenges
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The player's movement patterns in this game are generally the same; you are almost always trying to move around or between missiles. A few more enemy patterns would spice up this game quite nicely, as well as additional player options such as a quick dash.
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Intuitive signs
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The spawning rectangle was quickly understood by most players, but some found it strange. An indicator clearly associated with projectiles and danger, such as a red crosshair, would be preferable. Form follows function!
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Difficulty progression
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Playtesters highlighted issues at both ends of gameplay.
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The first 5-10 points come too easily and too slowly, creating feelings of boredom in experienced players. However, this easy stage is important for learning the mechanics. This could be addressed by eliminating the easy stage and creating a dedicated tutorial.
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Past 20-30 points, the difficulty increases drastically, especially because missiles spawn so quickly that the player has little time to react. The missile spawn time should be increased to allow for some reaction time, and the difficulty curve should otherwise be flattened.
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Other Improvements​
Player progression
Another highly requested change was including ways for the player to gain new powers or abilities. I believe a player upgrade system would help counteract the game's repetitive challenges and maintain more long-term interest. The player could also be challenged to collect currency after enemies explode, which would give them an additional goal in moment-to-moment gameplay.
