About this project
Rhythm Planet is a game that has been in development by students at the University of North Dakota since 2010. It is a 2d platformer with a look and design that was based on the classic Looney Tunes animation of the 1950s. Our goal through this Kickstarter campaign is to complete game development and make Rhythm Planet available to a wide audience.
Game Play
Game Development
Sound Design
Sound was an important element in the game from the beginning. All of the music in our promotional videos is from the game. We felt that by incorporating music into the game's concept we could create a unique playing experience. The three sound files below demonstrate our basic template for integrating the soundtrack into the gameplay.
The first track utilizes two distinct tones, which signal power up opportunities to the player. The first is the boost tone. It allows players to propel themselves into the air and to arrest falls from great heights. The second is the wave push tone. When activated, this power will allow the player to move large objects and destroy barriers.
The second track is the panic track. When a player begins their mining run this track is activated and will play until the player reaches the entry point or the mineral sample expires.
The final track is a combination of the two. It is what the player will hear while on the mining run for this level.
Level Design
Each level was designed to incorporate the music and powers into its solution. Here are two early maps for an unrealized level.
These maps aided the artists and were used as a template for level design.
Visual Design
The look of the game is inspired by two things, classic science fiction illustrations and the animated background painting style of the 1940s and 50s.
Question and Answer
Question: It has been three years. Why haven't you finished the game?
Answer: Students graduate. With an alarming frequency the students who have worked on the game stop being students and start being productive members of society.
Question: Why don't you find new students? There must be hundreds of undergraduates who would like to work on a video game.
Answer: We are continuously looking for students who would like to develop games. The catch-22 in this is that they want to develop their own games. Very few are interested in working on a project that was first developed while they were still in high school.
So, we are asking you to help us. We would like to hire a few select students who have worked on the game in the past and pay them to finish the developing the game.
Question: Alright, we get all that, but how is the game played?
Answer: You begin the game by selecting one of three characters, Karl, Karl's junior or the Karl-a-Tron 2500.
There are three zones available all with multiple levels. The desert zone is first. Followed by the cave and mountain zones.
Your goal is to mine the planet's most unstable mineral and get back to the entry point as quickly as possible. The melody and beats of the soundtrack provide powers you can utilize during game play. Each power has a distinct sound. When activated these powers will allow you to navigate the levels with a greater precision.
We built this game to provide opportunities to play a level multiple times in a quest for the perfect mineral sample. To progress to the next zone you must unlock the entry point by collecting high quality specimens.
Rewards
Sticker set
Poster
T-shirts
Game Pack One
A few final words
Over the past three years graduate and undergraduate students from the University of North Dakota have worked together to develop Rhythm Planet. Throughout that time they have all had but one goal. To make the game available so that their friends and families can play it. To make this happen, we need to finish what we started. We are hoping you can help us. Thank you.
Risks and challenges
There is always a risk when employing students. Their priorities can vary depending on the amount of credits and how close to graduation they are. This project has been timed to attempt to avoid many of the problems associated with this. The majority of effort in any creative project is often expended to get the project off the ground and running. This project will begin soon after the end of the school year, which will allow for a focussed effort from the students we intend to have work on the game. As I have previously stated there has been quite a bit of work already done. I feel confident that if funded the game will be finished on time.
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Funding period
- (30 days)