I JUST WANNA LAND!
A short "platformer" without platforms where you play as a bird trying to find someplace to land.
This was featured at PAX East 2019 at WPI's Interactive Media and Game Development Booth.
![[A gif showing the start of IJWL.]](jwl_pic01.gif)
![[A screenshot of IJWL gameplay.]](jwl_pic02.png)
![[A screenshot of IJWL gameplay.]](jwl_pic03.png)
Released: September 2018
Developed: September 2018 & March 2019 (< 48 hours total)
Team: Joseph Henry Stadolnik IV
Tools: PICO-8
Programming Language: Lua
My Role: Solo Developer
I made the entirety of this game by myself.
My achievements on this project included:
- Implementing a precision movement system built around aiming your bird's wing flaps.
- Designing four levels and their progression of hazards:
- Level 1 has only regular static balloons.
- Level 2 adds moving birds and twisters.
- Level 3 features rainclouds that push you down.
- Level 4 adds large static hot air balloons with different sizes.
- Designing risk/reward gameplay using collectible pickups with tricky placements.
- Drawing all visual assets using PICO-8's editor.
- Creating all audio assets using PICO-8's editor.
- Designing a scoring system that rewards speed and thorough collecting of pickups while penalizing deaths.
About:
This game was made in under 48 hours from August 31, 2018 to September 2, 2018 for the Game Maker's Toolkit Jam 2018.
The jam theme was to make a game that fits in an existing genre, but is missing a key mechanic from it.
This was my take on making a platformer without platforms, a challenge I tackled by letting the player jump (flap)
any number of times and carefully aim the direction they propel themselves in.
In March 2019 I revisited the game to add music, a new scoring system, and some small polish tweaks in preparation for
showing the game at PAX, but the total time spent on it remained within 48 hours.
Links:
PICO-8 Forum Post
itch.io