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SCALE is a fast-paced action game that merges elements of various genres such as pattern memorization games, rhythm games, & manic shooter games. The story is about Macy, a magical creature who finds out that her pet monster has gone missing, only to find him wreaking havoc on a large human city. The player controls her as she traverses the city, flying over buildings to reach the monster.
The game started being planned as a passion project during the summer of 2020. The game’s concept started with trying to find a way to make memorization games more exciting and easier to focus on. Development started later in the summer, being worked on for several weeks during a Digipen game development camp. By the end of the camp, the game had a basis for how the levels worked and a finalized version of character movement. After the camp was over I continued development on the game and added a lot of important features to the demo, such as a level menu, as well as a surplus of art and animation, including an introductory cutscene.
Screenshot from the Beta version of SCALE.
Due to the limited amount of time and the project being independent, my focus was creating an effective demonstration of my idea for a larger game. The first priority was to create smooth character movement and controls to work with. After movement was completed, the three demo levels were designed. The game splits the screen into four quadrants that light up at different times. The player must memorize the flashing pattern and use the arrow keys to dodge the pattern appropriately. The gameplay took inspiration from various sources and genres in order to make the memorization aspect more action-packed.
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Some planned concepts for future levels include extra projectiles on screen, different game modes, and character customization. Another addition would be visual novel sections and additional cutscenes in between levels to tell a story and establish a narrative that builds up to the final level of the game, which would be a confrontation with the monster.
