Games Development

  September 26, 2025

Games Development: 

FANG YAOYUE (0372006)

Games Development | Bachelor of Design in Creative Media | Taylor's University

List

LECTURES

INSTRUCTIONS

FEEDBACK

REFLECTION

LECTURES

Week 1

Game Title：Spartan: Oath of the Throne

Genre and Platform：2D Platformer (Story-driven)

Type：Linear levels 

Game overview：Spartan’s Oath is a 2D side-scrolling adventure set in ancient Greece. Players control a Spartan warrior navigating dangerous terrains—battlefields, forests, and Roman camps—guided by the words of their King: “Whoever saves the princess shall marry her.”

But beneath this heroic mission lies a bitter truth: the King’s promise is a lie. The princess has been promised to Rome for political alliance, and the warrior’s struggles reveal the futility of blind obedience and the cruelty of those in power.

Historical reference：King Minos led his army to defeat Athens, forcing Athens to send seven young men and seven young women as tribute to Crete every seven years as sacrifices to feed to the monster Minotaur. The princess was the first noble girl to be kidnapped.

The king had only one daughter, so he was willing to do anything to rescue her. However, no one was willing to take the risk. So the king said that whoever rescued the princess could marry her and become a member of the royal family.

Story and narrative：

• Plot:The Spartan King summons his warriors, declaring that the princess has been kidnapped by Roman forces. He promises her hand in marriage to the one who saves her. Inspired by honor and ambition, a young Spartan sets forth on a perilous journey.
 However, upon defeating powerful foes and reaching the princess, the warrior learns the truth: the King never intended to keep his promise, as royal blood cannot be mingled with common warriors. The tale ends with a bitter irony—valor rewarded only with betrayal.


• Backstory: Sparta, though proud and strong, is politically strained. To secure peace, the King arranges the princess’s marriage with Rome. The “kidnapping” is staged to keep the warriors loyal and motivated, but only one discovers the truth.
• Story Progression:Level 1 – Spartan City & Training Grounds
The King announces the princess’s abduction. Player trains and sets out.


• Level 2 – Dark Forest & Ruins
Player faces wild beasts and bandits. NPCs (old seers, villagers) hint at hidden truths.


• Level 3 – Roman Outskirts & Camp (Mini-Boss)
Small Roman commander fights the warrior. Princess’s trail grows clearer.


• Level 4 – Roman Fortress (Final Boss)
Large Roman general. After victory, the warrior finds the princess—safe, but resigned to her fate.



Ending
Cutscene reveals betrayal: The King’s promise was false. Princess is handed to Rome, leaving the warrior disillusioned.

Game objective：

• Defeat enemies and survive environmental challenges.
• Uncover narrative clues through NPCs and inscriptions.
• Overcome a mini-boss and final boss to “rescue” the princess.


• Reveal the irony of the King’s deception at the story’s end.

Target audience：

• Players aged 8–25 who enjoy story-driven platformers, Greek mythology-inspired worlds, and meaningful narratives with moral themes.



Fans of games like Limbo, Hollow Knight, and Dead Cells with a narrative twist..

Game mechanics：

• Core Actions: 
• Move left/right, Jump, Run (dodge), Moonlight Boost: Short speed burst when in moonlight (has cooldown)
• Core Rules & Interactions:
• Light enables visibility and access; darkness hides dangers but also obstructs vision
• Enemies patrol or react based on line of sight; players must use stealth and timing to evade them

Controls：

• Arrow keys – Move left and right. 
• Space – Jump
• Shift – Boost
• Enter – Interact

Game setting：

• Environment: A mythical, devastated world, blending Greek mythology with natural terrain. Features include a forest, a ruined forest, ruins and debris, and a decayed colossus.
• Time Period:  Ancient Rome
• Visual Style: Retro, hand-painted.
• Atmospheric tone: Ruins still have a sacred feeling

Level design：

1. Forest
2. Ruined Forest
3. Ruins and debris
4. Decayed Colosseum

Enemy design：

1.Tree Monster

2.Two-headed dog/One-eyed giant(mid boss)
3.Skeleton monster
4.King Minos(final boss)

NPCs：

1.King (father of the princess)

2.Little monster（Tree Monste/Two-headed dog/Skeleton monster）

Visuals and layout：

• UI/HUD: Health bar (stamina-based), weapon icon, Spartan Rage meter.


• Menus: Simple Greek-inspired motifs 


• Art Style: Vector-inspired, dramatic lighting.

INSTRUCTIONS

Week 2

Ron strongly recommended that we use open-source software (OSS), such as Godot, Blender, and Krita. This is to ensure that we have our own creations.

 

In this module, Godot will serve as the primary game engine for development. Godot is open-source and has a shorter learning curve compared to Unity and Unreal Engine.

Based on your game idea, make some of your 3D game assets (model at least​ your main game character and an environment object).

Fig1.1

Fig1.2

The background story of my game design is based on ancient Greece. Therefore, I decided to create a very ancient temple for this assignment. Of course, I won't use Blender, so I used Rhino, which I'm good at, to model it.

First, I built a set of steps, then made a stone pillar. I duplicated and pasted these pillars and then created the gate. The most difficult part was the first floor rooms and the roof, because I wanted to restore the original appearance of ancient Greek architecture as much as possible. And after making several adjustments, I think the length of the top roof should not be longer than that of the base; otherwise, it won't look very nice. This is the final effect without any rendering.

At the same time, we also need to create a character. My character is a Spartan warrior. But before that, we don't have much experience in facial modeling, so I decided to start by practicing with simple objects. I plan to create a Spartan warrior helmet that doesn't show the facial features.

Fig1.3

Then I exported my temple from Rhino. First, I saved the file in FBX format, then imported the FBX file into Blender, and finally exported the file in GLB/GLTF format in Blender. This way, it can be opened in Godot.

Fig1.4

Fig1.5

Fig1.6

Group assignment for the fourthweek (artistic part):

All of the following were drawn by me using Procreate. I have never used any AI tools.

Fig1.7  Main character sketch

Fig1.8 The protagonist's running motion

Fig1.9 The protagonist's standing posture

Fig1.10 The protagonist's attack action is being carried out

Fig1.11 boss 1

Fig1.12 boss 2

Fig1.13 Monster skeleton

Fig1.14 Monster Werewolf

Fig1.15 Musket Flute

Fig1.16 Weapon tuning fork

Fig1.17 Musical instrument guitar

Fig1.18 Scene

Group assignment for the fifth week (artistic part):

Fig1.19 The protagonist's jumping action

Fig1.20 The protagonist transforms into a villain.

Fig1.21 The protagonist's blackened attack move

Fig1.22 Mimic Monster

Fig1.23 Shadow Monster

Fig1.24 Lamp Demon

Fig1.25 boss

FEEDBACK

Week 1

This week is my first time taking a game development class, and Ron was very interesting throughout the entire class. We started introducing himself and he talked about the course plan for this semester, which was very interesting. The homework assigned was also very simple. He came up with a game plan and will present his own plan in the next class.

Week 2

This is the second game development class of this semester, and everyone actively expressed their ideas in class. Ron also taught everyone how to use Blender in this class. As a beginner in Blender, it is difficult for me to quickly get started using it, but I will work hard to learn.

Week 3

I encountered many tricky problems during the modeling process. Prior to this, I couldn't use Blender, but I could still use Rhino. So I modeled with Rhino, imported it into Blender in a different format, and then imported it into Godot in a different format. That's right, before that, I didn't know how to import everything, but Ron taught me. He was very careful and replied to messages quickly. I am very grateful to him.

Week 4

This week in class, we continued our group presentation, but it wasn't very successful. This was because our game design was not comprehensive. I was in charge of the art part. I would draw until 2:30 or 3:00 every night. I just followed the instructions of the group leader and did whatever he asked me to do. The presentation content was also not prepared very thoroughly because we didn't assign tasks in advance and didn't rehearse. This week, I will make improvements. Next week, I will prepare more thoroughly and do better.

Week 5

There were no major issues with this week's presentation. However, due to the fact that we switched to a new game production process, many of our sections failed to achieve the expected results. I was in charge of the art department. Everyone thought my drawings were excellent. I still had to draw until 2 or 3 o'clock every day. I felt extremely tired. But in the end, I didn't receive Ron's approval. I hope our team can work better together next week.

Week 6

This week we finished the group presentations. We are about to start the distribution of the final assignments. I finally chose the group to make a robot game. I think it's very interesting, and I also chose the art part. I will be responsible for drawing the main character and the boss.

REFLECTION

In this semester's game development course, I systematically got acquainted with two software programs, Godot and Blender. The learning process of the course enabled me to have a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of the overall process of game development, from modeling, animation production to the implementation of game logic.

During the course, Mr. Ron has been leading us in our learning with patience and responsibility. He not only provided detailed guidance on technical operations, helping me focus on the experience and logical structure rather than just the use of tools, but also assisted me in developing a deeper understanding of game development theories.

In the early stages of the course, we prepared in the form of group presentations. To prepare for the weekly reports, our team planned tasks, assigned content, and continuously improved the presentation methods. This iterative process not only made me more familiar with game development theories, but also taught me how to express complex content in a clearer way to others. The long-term preparation allowed us to establish a common understanding before the formal production, which made the later creation process smoother.

Looking back at the first five weeks, my biggest discovery was that game development requires a combination of art, technology, and collaboration skills. This course not only enabled me to master the tools, but also helped me understand the importance of team communication, planning, and cross-skills collaboration. I am more confident in my future creations and look forward to further developing my abilities in Godot and Blender.