The First Game Jam - Lethal Deal Development Log 1

​Hello! This post is about the "team project" module for my final year on the games design degree at the University of Huddersfield. This is the first of a series of development posts relating to Lethal Deal, a vertical slice for a video game I am working on with seven other people who form the team
​Inline 9. ​We have a 12-week development cycle, including three game jam weeks (40+ hours Monday to Friday) and nine regular weeks (16+ hours Monday to Friday). 

What is Lethal Deal?

• Doom meets Slay the Spire
• First-person arena shooter
• Deckbuilding

Practically, it is a first-person arena shooter and a deckbuilding game in one. You move fluidly around tightly designed levels, draw cards from your deck to improve your gun and fight off the corrupted robotic citizens of this futuristic world.

Scope?

• There will be three polished arenas, including a boss arena, two regular arenas, and two transitional levels.
• Advanced movement (sliding, clambering, dashing, vaulting)
• Advanced enemy spawning and AI
• 60 cards implemented, balanced, and engaged with

I am the lead designer on this project, but what are my responsibilities exactly?

• Concept design
• Enemy design
• Level design (grey boxing)
• User testing
• Card design
• Game feel (movement and level design)​​

What have we achieved during the first week of game development?

• Asset implementation to replace blockout levels
• Enemy assets
• Basic enemy AI 
• Implementation of all design cards as of now
• Concept, basic enemies, cards, and levels all designed 
• 14 over-the-shoulder tests completed
• Based on user feedback, the game feel is at a great place

Come back to this blog every month or so for an update on the progress of Lethal Deal. A vertical slice by Inline 9. 

Credits:
Niall - Designer
Aspen - Programmer
Wes William - Programmer
Salvatore Tarantino - Programmer
Daniel Scott-Wilson - Generalist/Blueprints/Environment Artist
Migle Ignotaite - Character Artist
Liam - VFX/UI
Eti - Artist