Serving as the Lead Designer & 3D Animator on "Limb From Limb" has been both a remarkable and demanding journey. The experience has enriched my skills and knowledge, which I eagerly anticipate applying to future endeavors. Collaborating with Spineless Studios has been immensely rewarding, and I am enthusiastic about continuing our partnership to craft more innovative games. This project has not only been a significant milestone in my career but also a source of great personal and professional growth.
Afterword
Gameboard Room/Inventory Development Progression
Item Variety
I designed 12 unique items for "Limb From Limb," with 10 making the final cut. Each item offers distinct strategic benefits, carefully explained to the team to ensure their relevance in gameplay. Through extensive playtesting, I observed usage patterns to understand player preferences, using this data to refine item availability in the game.
This analysis led to the creation of the 'Shop Tile,' where players use 'Fingers' (in-game currency) to buy items. This feature shifted player strategy towards more combat engagement, as previously, players often avoided confrontations. Now, with the incentive to collect currency for valuable items, combat became a vital and appealing aspect of the game.
Items play a pivotal role in enhancing survival odds in "Limb From Limb." These crucial assets are located on designated 'Item Tiles' scattered across the map. When players land on these tiles, they are transported to a room where they can choose between two items. This design choice empowers players with agency, allowing them to select the item they deem most advantageous at that moment.
Once acquired, items are stored in a dresser, serving as the player's inventory. Players can then equip these items on their tray for use during encounters with opponents. To deepen the gameplay experience, a shop mechanism was introduced. Here, players can use fingers obtained from defeated opponents as currency to purchase additional items. This addition not only enriches the strategic element but also adds a layer of dark humor that aligns with the game's overall theme.
The Search For Items
Sketch/Pitch
3D Mock-up
Final
Map Development Progression
To offset the inherent randomness in "Limb From Limb's" card game mechanics, I emphasized the significance of introducing items with diverse abilities. These items not only boost player agency but also incentivize exploring the newly proposed map, striking a balance between risk and reward. The exploration aspect, along with the strategic use of items, was enthusiastically adopted as a key feature of the game.
Further amplifying the game's appeal, each tile on the map is designed to be randomly generated. This ensures that every playthrough offers a unique experience, significantly enhancing the game's replay value. This approach provides players with fresh challenges and strategies in each session, keeping the gameplay dynamic and engaging.
The concept of an exploration phase in "Limb From Limb" was born from a preliminary sketch I presented to our Creative Lead. I envisioned this as a dynamic segment where players navigate through various rooms, each with an element of mystery. The design ensures that unexplored rooms remain concealed until the player enters them, adding a layer of suspense and discovery. The rooms are designed to potentially be beneficial, neutral, or negative, introducing a diverse range of experiences and outcomes that keep gameplay engaging and unpredictable. This feature significantly enhances the strategic depth of the game, as players must weigh the risks and rewards of exploring new areas.
Exploring The Map
Achieving the right balance in "Limb From Limb" was a challenging yet critical aspect of the game design. Initially, our playtests revealed an excessive reliance on chance in card draws, leading to potentially premature game-overs during the first encounter. To address this, I adjusted the ratio of 'Safe' to 'Death' cards, finding an optimal balance at 1:4. Further refinement led to the introduction of 'Joker' cards, replacing eight 'Death' cards to enhance player agency.
To reduce the game's dependence on luck, I proposed integrating items with various effects, allowing players to strategize and adapt their gameplay. This concept was well-received, leading to the development of items and their specific functionalities.
To distribute these items within the game, I suggested an 8x8 board, reminiscent of a chessboard, utilizing a tile system for exploration and discovery. This idea, offering players freedom to navigate and encounter diverse outcomes, was enthusiastically embraced by the team, leading to the development of subsequent mock-ups.
The Perfect Card Balance
Rough Positioning
3D Mock-up
Final
Encounter Development Progression
The design of the "Encounter Room," the central arena for our card game in "Limb From Limb," required meticulous planning to enhance the game's immersive experience. In this high-tension setting, players face their opponent across a table, with the game cards prominently displayed. Central to this environment is the 'punishment device,' a mechanism into which the players' hands are restrained, symbolizing potential consequences.
My mock-up focused on placing key elements like the cards and the punishment device, ensuring visibility and interactivity. It was crucial that the players' and opponent's hands remained visible, serving as intuitive 'health' indicators. For optimal visibility of the game elements, we adjusted the camera angle and incorporated the ability to freely look around, thus maintaining a balance between aesthetic appeal and functional gameplay design.
Creating The Encounter Room
"Limb From Limb" reinterprets 'Russian Roulette' as a card game with high stakes. Players draw from five cards, facing two possible outcomes: safety or visceral consequences. This simple, intense mechanic creates suspense and significant impact with each choice.
Gameplay Loop
In my role as Lead Designer for "Limb From Limb" at Spineless Studios, my primary responsibility was to develop and refine the initial game concept proposed by our Creative Lead. This process involved transforming a conceptual pitch into a detailed and coherent design framework. To facilitate this, I used Miroboard, a collaborative digital whiteboard platform. It served as a central hub for organizing critical information pertaining to the game's mechanics, gameplay loops, and essential visual mock-ups. This approach was instrumental in ensuring that both our programming and art teams had a clear and unified understanding of the project, thereby streamlining our development process.
How Limb From Limb Was Created In 10 Weeks
Designing Limb From Limb
Made in Unity
Developed Using HDRP
1st-Person Perspective
10-week development cycle
11 core members
Psychological Horror, Visceral, Card Game, Turn-based
Project Overview
3D Animator:
Created several visceral and horrifying character and item animations.
Game Designer:
Outlined and organize gameplay flow charts to the team, working closely with the director to ensure alignment with vision.
Video Production:
Working with marketing and the director, created a trailer to showcase the game's selling points in an engaging manner
Contribution
Serving as the Lead Designer & 3D Animator on "Limb From Limb" has been both a remarkable and demanding journey. The experience has enriched my skills and knowledge, which I eagerly anticipate applying to future endeavors. Collaborating with Spineless Studios has been immensely rewarding, and I am enthusiastic about continuing our partnership to craft more innovative games. This project has not only been a significant milestone in my career but also a source of great personal and professional growth.
Afterword
Gameboard Room/Inventory Development Progression
Item Variety
I designed 12 unique items for "Limb From Limb," with 10 making the final cut. Each item offers distinct strategic benefits, carefully explained to the team to ensure their relevance in gameplay. Through extensive playtesting, I observed usage patterns to understand player preferences, using this data to refine item availability in the game.
This analysis led to the creation of the 'Shop Tile,' where players use 'Fingers' (in-game currency) to buy items. This feature shifted player strategy towards more combat engagement, as previously, players often avoided confrontations. Now, with the incentive to collect currency for valuable items, combat became a vital and appealing aspect of the game.
Items play a pivotal role in enhancing survival odds in "Limb From Limb." These crucial assets are located on designated 'Item Tiles' scattered across the map. When players land on these tiles, they are transported to a room where they can choose between two items. This design choice empowers players with agency, allowing them to select the item they deem most advantageous at that moment.
Once acquired, items are stored in a dresser, serving as the player's inventory. Players can then equip these items on their tray for use during encounters with opponents. To deepen the gameplay experience, a shop mechanism was introduced. Here, players can use fingers obtained from defeated opponents as currency to purchase additional items. This addition not only enriches the strategic element but also adds a layer of dark humor that aligns with the game's overall theme.
The Search For Items
Sketch/Pitch
3D Mock-up
Final
Map Development Progression
To offset the inherent randomness in "Limb From Limb's" card game mechanics, I emphasized the significance of introducing items with diverse abilities. These items not only boost player agency but also incentivize exploring the newly proposed map, striking a balance between risk and reward. The exploration aspect, along with the strategic use of items, was enthusiastically adopted as a key feature of the game.
Further amplifying the game's appeal, each tile on the map is designed to be randomly generated. This ensures that every playthrough offers a unique experience, significantly enhancing the game's replay value. This approach provides players with fresh challenges and strategies in each session, keeping the gameplay dynamic and engaging.
The concept of an exploration phase in "Limb From Limb" was born from a preliminary sketch I presented to our Creative Lead. I envisioned this as a dynamic segment where players navigate through various rooms, each with an element of mystery. The design ensures that unexplored rooms remain concealed until the player enters them, adding a layer of suspense and discovery. The rooms are designed to potentially be beneficial, neutral, or negative, introducing a diverse range of experiences and outcomes that keep gameplay engaging and unpredictable. This feature significantly enhances the strategic depth of the game, as players must weigh the risks and rewards of exploring new areas.
Exploring The Map
Achieving the right balance in "Limb From Limb" was a challenging yet critical aspect of the game design. Initially, our playtests revealed an excessive reliance on chance in card draws, leading to potentially premature game-overs during the first encounter. To address this, I adjusted the ratio of 'Safe' to 'Death' cards, finding an optimal balance at 1:4. Further refinement led to the introduction of 'Joker' cards, replacing eight 'Death' cards to enhance player agency.
To reduce the game's dependence on luck, I proposed integrating items with various effects, allowing players to strategize and adapt their gameplay. This concept was well-received, leading to the development of items and their specific functionalities.
To distribute these items within the game, I suggested an 8x8 board, reminiscent of a chessboard, utilizing a tile system for exploration and discovery. This idea, offering players freedom to navigate and encounter diverse outcomes, was enthusiastically embraced by the team, leading to the development of subsequent mock-ups.
The Perfect Card Balance
Rough Positioning
3D Mock-up
Final
Encounter Development Progression
The design of the "Encounter Room," the central arena for our card game in "Limb From Limb," required meticulous planning to enhance the game's immersive experience. In this high-tension setting, players face their opponent across a table, with the game cards prominently displayed. Central to this environment is the 'punishment device,' a mechanism into which the players' hands are restrained, symbolizing potential consequences.
My mock-up focused on placing key elements like the cards and the punishment device, ensuring visibility and interactivity. It was crucial that the players' and opponent's hands remained visible, serving as intuitive 'health' indicators. For optimal visibility of the game elements, we adjusted the camera angle and incorporated the ability to freely look around, thus maintaining a balance between aesthetic appeal and functional gameplay design.
Creating The Encounter Room
"Limb From Limb" reinterprets 'Russian Roulette' as a card game with high stakes. Players draw from five cards, facing two possible outcomes: safety or visceral consequences. This simple, intense mechanic creates suspense and significant impact with each choice.
Gameplay Loop
In my role as Lead Designer for "Limb From Limb" at Spineless Studios, my primary responsibility was to develop and refine the initial game concept proposed by our Creative Lead. This process involved transforming a conceptual pitch into a detailed and coherent design framework. To facilitate this, I used Miroboard, a collaborative digital whiteboard platform. It served as a central hub for organizing critical information pertaining to the game's mechanics, gameplay loops, and essential visual mock-ups. This approach was instrumental in ensuring that both our programming and art teams had a clear and unified understanding of the project, thereby streamlining our development process.
How Limb From Limb Was Created In 10 Weeks
Designing Limb From Limb
Made in Unity
Developed Using HDRP
1st-Person Perspective
10-week development cycle
11 core members
Psychological Horror, Visceral, Card Game, Turn-based
Project Overview
3D Animator:
Created several visceral and horrifying character and item animations.
Game Designer:
Outlined and organize gameplay flow charts to the team, working closely with the director to ensure alignment with vision.
Video Production:
Working with marketing and the director, created a trailer to showcase the game's selling points in an engaging manner
Contribution
Serving as the Lead Designer & 3D Animator on "Limb From Limb" has been both a remarkable and demanding journey. The experience has enriched my skills and knowledge, which I eagerly anticipate applying to future endeavors. Collaborating with Spineless Studios has been immensely rewarding, and I am enthusiastic about continuing our partnership to craft more innovative games. This project has not only been a significant milestone in my career but also a source of great personal and professional growth.
Afterword
Gameboard Room/Inventory Development Progression
Item Variety
I designed 12 unique items for "Limb From Limb," with 10 making the final cut. Each item offers distinct strategic benefits, carefully explained to the team to ensure their relevance in gameplay. Through extensive playtesting, I observed usage patterns to understand player preferences, using this data to refine item availability in the game.
This analysis led to the creation of the 'Shop Tile,' where players use 'Fingers' (in-game currency) to buy items. This feature shifted player strategy towards more combat engagement, as previously, players often avoided confrontations. Now, with the incentive to collect currency for valuable items, combat became a vital and appealing aspect of the game.
Items play a pivotal role in enhancing survival odds in "Limb From Limb." These crucial assets are located on designated 'Item Tiles' scattered across the map. When players land on these tiles, they are transported to a room where they can choose between two items. This design choice empowers players with agency, allowing them to select the item they deem most advantageous at that moment.
Once acquired, items are stored in a dresser, serving as the player's inventory. Players can then equip these items on their tray for use during encounters with opponents. To deepen the gameplay experience, a shop mechanism was introduced. Here, players can use fingers obtained from defeated opponents as currency to purchase additional items. This addition not only enriches the strategic element but also adds a layer of dark humor that aligns with the game's overall theme.
The Search For Items
Sketch/Pitch
3D Mock-up
Final
Map Development Progression
To offset the inherent randomness in "Limb From Limb's" card game mechanics, I emphasized the significance of introducing items with diverse abilities. These items not only boost player agency but also incentivize exploring the newly proposed map, striking a balance between risk and reward. The exploration aspect, along with the strategic use of items, was enthusiastically adopted as a key feature of the game.
Further amplifying the game's appeal, each tile on the map is designed to be randomly generated. This ensures that every playthrough offers a unique experience, significantly enhancing the game's replay value. This approach provides players with fresh challenges and strategies in each session, keeping the gameplay dynamic and engaging.
The concept of an exploration phase in "Limb From Limb" was born from a preliminary sketch I presented to our Creative Lead. I envisioned this as a dynamic segment where players navigate through various rooms, each with an element of mystery. The design ensures that unexplored rooms remain concealed until the player enters them, adding a layer of suspense and discovery. The rooms are designed to potentially be beneficial, neutral, or negative, introducing a diverse range of experiences and outcomes that keep gameplay engaging and unpredictable. This feature significantly enhances the strategic depth of the game, as players must weigh the risks and rewards of exploring new areas.
Exploring The Map
Achieving the right balance in "Limb From Limb" was a challenging yet critical aspect of the game design. Initially, our playtests revealed an excessive reliance on chance in card draws, leading to potentially premature game-overs during the first encounter. To address this, I adjusted the ratio of 'Safe' to 'Death' cards, finding an optimal balance at 1:4. Further refinement led to the introduction of 'Joker' cards, replacing eight 'Death' cards to enhance player agency.
To reduce the game's dependence on luck, I proposed integrating items with various effects, allowing players to strategize and adapt their gameplay. This concept was well-received, leading to the development of items and their specific functionalities.
To distribute these items within the game, I suggested an 8x8 board, reminiscent of a chessboard, utilizing a tile system for exploration and discovery. This idea, offering players freedom to navigate and encounter diverse outcomes, was enthusiastically embraced by the team, leading to the development of subsequent mock-ups.
The Perfect Card Balance
Rough Positioning
3D Mock-up
Final
Encounter Development Progression
The design of the "Encounter Room," the central arena for our card game in "Limb From Limb," required meticulous planning to enhance the game's immersive experience. In this high-tension setting, players face their opponent across a table, with the game cards prominently displayed. Central to this environment is the 'punishment device,' a mechanism into which the players' hands are restrained, symbolizing potential consequences.
My mock-up focused on placing key elements like the cards and the punishment device, ensuring visibility and interactivity. It was crucial that the players' and opponent's hands remained visible, serving as intuitive 'health' indicators. For optimal visibility of the game elements, we adjusted the camera angle and incorporated the ability to freely look around, thus maintaining a balance between aesthetic appeal and functional gameplay design.
Creating The Encounter Room
"Limb From Limb" reinterprets 'Russian Roulette' as a card game with high stakes. Players draw from five cards, facing two possible outcomes: safety or visceral consequences. This simple, intense mechanic creates suspense and significant impact with each choice.
Gameplay Loop
In my role as Lead Designer for "Limb From Limb" at Spineless Studios, my primary responsibility was to develop and refine the initial game concept proposed by our Creative Lead. This process involved transforming a conceptual pitch into a detailed and coherent design framework. To facilitate this, I used Miroboard, a collaborative digital whiteboard platform. It served as a central hub for organizing critical information pertaining to the game's mechanics, gameplay loops, and essential visual mock-ups. This approach was instrumental in ensuring that both our programming and art teams had a clear and unified understanding of the project, thereby streamlining our development process.
How Limb From Limb Was Created In 10 Weeks
Designing Limb From Limb
Made in Unity
Developed Using HDRP
1st-Person Perspective
10-week development cycle
11 core members
Psychological Horror, Visceral, Card Game, Turn-based
Project Overview
3D Animator:
Created several visceral and horrifying character and item animations.
Game Designer:
Outlined and organize gameplay flow charts to the team, working closely with the director to ensure alignment with vision.
Video Production:
Working with marketing and the director, created a trailer to showcase the game's selling points in an engaging manner
Contribution