Escape the Plate
Escape the Plate was my first major game project, where I was the overall lead for the project, being the sole engineer, the lead designer, along with pitching, directing, and producing the game. It was done in Unreal 4 with C++, and features 5 levels where different ingredients with unique abilities try to escape the restaurant they're confined in.
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Contribution: Engineering
I was the lone engineer on the project, so I took care to implement everything in the game, from UI, to character controls and AI, along with the game rules and mechanics such as a "floor is lava" mechanic where the ingredients become contaminated if they remain on the floor.
Pictured below is the Octopus-Arm character being chased by one of the chefs, while holding onto a mushroom because of its unique "grab" ability.
Contribution: Level and Character Design
The core mechanic of the game was to control an array of ingredients with unique abilities tied to what they were, such as a spicy chili pepper being able to "Launch itself", or a rolling Onion being able to accelerate as it moves. As the lead designer for the game, I designed several of these characters and what their unique ability and movement would be. One other major contribution was level design, as I designed the Tutorial Level and parts of the Italian Trattoria level.
Pictured below is the tutorial level, with the Onion character sitting on top of a prep table.
Contribution: Directing and Producing
I took charge on making sure the game's direction fit well with what I envisioned when I originally pitched the game, while letting the other designers take freedom when designing other levels in the game, to ensure consistency and a fun product. I also took the lead on Production about a third into the dev-cycle as the original producer stepped down, and made sure we ran on two-week sprints with agile. I ensured every member had valuable work to do, and would regularly check-in with artists and designers to ensure their work was manageable, and would re-evaluate scope when the team seemed to struggle with their work.
Pictured below is the Japanese Grill & Sushi level, featuring the result of the combined work of UI Artists, 3D artists, and Level Designers, all managed by me to ensure the team could come together with their skills to put out the level in an efficient and healthy manner.
