Game Jams, for me are one of the best ways to learn. From teamwork to working under pressure with limited time, they really push you out of your comfort zone. You don’t learn as much in a regular project because it’s easy to stay within what you already know, and you’re less likely to try new things.
Croquette Combo Rider:
This jam lasted four days, and the theme was Bref, a famous TV show known for its short episodes. We had to pick the title of one episode and turn it into a game. We chose “J’ai monté un meuble” since it was the theme the whole team voted for. For this jam, I was in charge of gameplay programming. Here’s what I worked on:
Gameplay:
The first thing I started working on was the controller. Since our idea focused on moving around the scene and climbing furniture, I needed to make the movement feel as smooth as possible. I began by experimenting with a rolling sphere for the base movement, and after that, I built the grappling hook system. It was the main movement mechanic of our game, so making it smooth, responsive, and easy to pick up was my top priority.
Grappling:
The first thing I did was figure out what kind of movement I actually wanted. At first, I tried using a fixed maximum distance between the player and the hook point, but when I tested swinging, it felt weird and unnatural. So, I changed my approach and went for a more elastic feeling instead. That adjustment made the swinging feel much more natural and satisfying to control.
Once the base feeling was right, I added a pull option that adjusted the max distance so the rope could retract. I also added a propulsion feature when the player was actively grappling something, they could launch themselves in a chosen direction. It helped build up speed and made it easier to dodge obstacles when needed.
Propulsion:
After polishing the base movement, I worked on other parts like the camera, which can move around the player, zoom in and out, and even add an offset to help with aiming. With the time I had left, I learned how to import a networking package and modified my scripts to add a multiplayer mode. It was a lot of fun being able to grapple onto your friends and move around in chaotic, funny ways.
This project wasn’t the biggest in terms of programming, but it was a huge challenge in terms of polish. Since the whole game was based on movement, if the mechanics didn’t feel smooth, the entire experience would feel off so getting that right was really important.
I’m currently working on another prototype focused on improving smoothness and movement. I’ve already upgraded the grappling system so it behaves more like a real rope, able to wrap around objects instead of going through them. I really feel like this prototype has a lot of potential players today are always looking for better, more fluid movement in games. They want to feel free, and I think this project could offer a fresh way to move around and explore maps.