Robo Redirekt is a fast-paced battlebots-style party game where the players take control of robots placed into a rocket-filled arena. Redirect the rockets that fire across the map by placing portals to score kills and achieve domination over your friends!
The latest build is available here.
I worked primarily as a UI Programmer and developed the menu and Jumbotron systems. I also worked with my team to design and implement the powerups and integrate assets that the artists developed.
I had the opportunity to work with a UI Technical Artist and a Technical Artist from the Bungie team who worked on the Destiny series. They functioned as our mentors and used their experience to help us mature as game developers and build a polished product. We also had a lot of great times playtesting and hanging out to talk about games!
Once they've joined, players can grab their fighter from the crowd like a claw-drop machine and toss them into the fray.
The player is then able to select from a variety of maps to play from all with different setups of barrier positioning, moving platforms, and differing rocket spawns to allow for a mixed bag of gameplay dynamics.
Our team wanted to give the experience of a live battle-bots performance. Just like a jumbotron screen that you'd see at a stadium, our screen follows major action going on around the map like near-death experiences and player-versus-player action. This allows spectators the chance to jump in on the action with minimal background knowledge.
During the match, the lights around the stadium also dynamically change color to correspond with that of the winning player. The crowd also gets riled up at the match unfolding: they cheer, gasp, boo and get louder as the competition gets tighter.
Most competitive games can quickly become one-sided. However, the objective of casual / party games is to be closely balanced and fun for everyone.
During the course of a match, the game periodically spawns in various powerups such as a hammer smasher, shield, extra life, landmine, and the illustrious nuke which erases tiles and players alike.
Players can push each other's bots into shredder pits, launch rockets at each other, and drop land mines for area denial. The close-cut competition keeps you on the edge of your seat and puts you right back into the action after losing a life. Robo Redirekt offers fast-paced gameplay and encourages players to duke it out in a light-hearted, comedic spirit.
Overtime is a hammer-off! If the last two players die within a second of each other, it will go to a sudden death battle. Players are flung several tiles if they are hit by the hammer jab, the last one standing is declared the winner.
While players may die well before others in large fights, they still have the option to impact gameplay in a less direct way. Players can shift the tides of battle by removing tiles, powerups, and even players if they are quick enough!
After each match has completed, the players are scored based on their performance. They can see their different stats for eliminations, total rockets redirected, portals placed, and powerups used. They can then quickly jump right back into the carnage!
