Meow Express was a jam game which later on we have decided to polish and publish on Steam.
I designed and developed the game, working with a 2d artist and an audio designer.
We had only 1.5 week to design and publish our game.
The game was supposed to be very easy to make, but also had to have a game loop that's interesting enough for players to come back to it. I had to make quick and precise decisions, since we did not have time to playtest nor remake assets.
You can access the Steam store page from here.
Design Overview
Blast Off & Dash
We started off with the good old "space to elevate" mechanic. However the skill ceiling was way too high that even a veteran player would struggle in Stage 1. Therefore we implemented the "dash" mechanic that really differentiate the playstyles between a newbie and a veteran player.
Small Hazards
Once you beat stage 1, two hazards are introduced. Both of them have increased spawn rate for each level:
Crows: Your input will be disabled for a fracture of time and you will fall. You have to press space NOT immediately, but after that slight delay.
Balls: They just shake the camera. You have to keep your cool and play normally.
Both hazards are easy to manage after you learn how they work, but they hit pretty hard for the first time you encounter them.
Steering the Player
Since there are less tall buildings than avarage, playing closer to the sky was much easier, so we nerfed it by a little bit of discouragement; the train. Although it is not an immediate threat, it forces players to plan a route for the next couple of seconds. Which is better alternative than another obstacle to dodge
Train spawn rate also increases stage by stage while still being random enough that its occurrence is not overwhelming.
Stage by Stage
Each stage has longer time between its stations, on the contrary you are become faster. It can be both a curse or a blessing so the player needs to adjust their playstyle as they progress.
During a stage also have increasing difficulty because of cats collision.
More cats = harder to dodge obstacles.
In Stage Goals
*Balloons are essential since 5 (or 4 if you have the upgrade) of them gives you a shield of immunity that lasts a second once you hit a balcony
*There are cats that spawn on the balconies that are hard to obtain but pretty rewarding. They count as a station cat thus decreasing the time you need to complete the current stage. This also separates newbies with veteran players.
Long Term Goals
Hence the high skill ceiling, I had to make sure the player has a more achievable goal, before getting to stage 2. Upgrades created this goal, while increasing the players chances to advance in the game
Since dash is the most important upgrade, we made it the cheapest. However player can have more economic approach and go for the Fee upgrade as well.
There are also skin options that we all are familiar with.
Showing Score
This is a typical runner game that is based on score. To make it interesting and fun, instead of showing a number, main menu shows the player total score by piling up cats, on top of each other, on the promised giant pillow.
For long term players, pillow can be refreshed after 250 cats, giving you a golden badge.
(Max amount of score you collect is 1250, currently)
Each stage you beat spawns cats equal to its number.
Ex: You beat stage 3 and lost in stage 4: 1+2+3 = 6 cats are added to the pillow.