SUMMER 2010 – BREAKTHRU (Platform game)
School project – Fall term, first year of university

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
During the course ‘introduction to game design’, we were using Game Maker to get into and familiar with the basics of game design and all its goofy wonder. For my first major assignment in the course, I decided to make a platform game which eventually came to be named “Breakthru”.

We were asked to implement a unique sort of selling point for our game, something that added a bit of spice to it all. My selling point was that it was a platform game in which you gradually learned your moves, every move. You start out without knowing how to do anything, even including walking. Overall, the concept is pretty roughly implemented in the game’s current state, as it was a one week project only. I do, however, plan to extend this game and its sequel to becoming fully-fledged, retro-styled platformer titles instead of just being the short games that they are now.

Breakthru stars average man Shen, as he finds himself in a strange, lonely and dark world, seemingly devoid of any other human life. Shen seems to have forgotten how to do everything, including such basic things as walking. You must guide him through the desolate lands, as he gradually regains his abilities and comes closer to an answer to what is going on, and what the strange place actually is.

As I mentioned before, it was a one week assignment, so I had to rush pretty much everything to get at least a stable, basic version of what I had in mind. Overall, I think it turned out quite well for the short time I had to work on it, and I’d love to expand upon it and make it more of a full game, which I intend to do.

SCREENSHOTS
Here are some screenshots from the game. Click on them to show them in their full size (640×480).
In some screenshots, parts of the graphics appear slightly skewed in places. This is due to a graphics bug which seems to occur on some systems when running Game Maker games (happens on my ATI-powered laptop, but not on my nVidia-powered desktop.)

If I’ve kept your interest this far, then you shall be rewarded with a download! Yay!
Keep in mind these few points though;

• This is just a short game, so don’t expect to be entertained for hours.
• The level design is, at times, very reliant on trial-and-error, and your ability to memorise deadly leaps-of-faith.
• There are a few of the aforementioned lethal leaps-of-faith. Sorry about that!
• I am in no way reliable for any issues that running this game may cause. It has been tested on several systems and seems to work fine, but should it not run properly, then report to me either via the contact page, or via the comments field on this page.
• I am also in no way reliable for any self-inflicted harm done due to the occasionally asshole-ic level design. The extended version will be a lot better, promise!

If you’ve read through and understand all those points, feel free to download the game and have fun!

DOWNLOAD
Breakthru – Original Version

Also, if you’d like to give some general feedback, just leave a comment at this page. I appreciate general feedback and/or constructive criticism, it’ll help when I eventually extend upon the game!