Pixel Jam 4: Aqua

This was a project for the 2024 Pixel Jam that didn't quite make the ten-day deadline, but I'm really pleased with the art and animations I did for it so I thought I'd document them here!

In this low-res underwater dungeon crawler, you would swim through the ruins of an ancient civilization, collecting ancient treasures. Danger lurks around every corner, from bizarre wildlife to mysterious creatures left behind by their mysterious forebears. Manage your breath and mind your carrying capacity while you haul relics and artifacts from the depths and plan routes between pockets of air. In a pinch, wield those relics to protect yourself from predators and horrors, freezing creatures solid or creating new air pockets, for the low price of ruining them for sale. Is the treasure worth your life? Is saving your life worth losing all that treasure? Prepare for each level, bringing in artifacts from your previous hauls, and hope you can escape with both.

The project never got past early design phases, but a prototype was developed including a test level, functioning enemy AI using A* pathfinding, and a custom 3D-grid generation system to quickly bake navigation for complex 3D level geometry. Gameplay elements included 3D maneuvering, an oxygen timer, a carry capacity, selling some artifacts to a friendly merchant character, and destroying others to unleash their powerful one-use special abilities.

Since moving on from Unity development, the project isn't likely to be continued in its current state, but with enough time I may decide to work on a Godot port and keep exploring the ideas and designs I established here!