Casual & Hypercasual Games

Projects Context

Given our origins as a work-for-hire studio, I was initially brought into the studio to work on casual & hypercasual projects on behalf of partners and publishers or work on own-IP that had already been launched and was testing well.

Launched Titles

My Perfect Neighbourhood

Google Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ozuma.recycletown 

My Perfect Neighbourhood is a casual resource-gathering game, with the core loop of cleaning rubbish piles to earn resources that are traded at resource centres for coins that unlock more of the world.

As a brand-new title, I was involved from the pre-production phase to its initial launch.

Contribution

• Short game design documentation creation to coherently scope MVP content for first testing: Economy outline, core gameplay loops, quantity of resource centres, world scale, camera behaviour, play length, art & sound requirements etc. 

• In-engine level creation: Hooking up camera behaviour, resource centres, props, environments, unlock tiles, buildings etc.

• Meta & economy assignment & balancing 

Toy Land

Google Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ozuma.oipfor 

Toy Land is a casual 'draw line' puzzler in which the user has to guide up to three robots safely to their corresponding coloured exists, avoiding environment hazards, walls, and one another.

I was brought on the project post-launch, with the goal of redesigning the game based on a revised concept from the art team (a toy shop after dark) and to create new levels in-engine to extend the game's playtime.

Contribution

• Short game design documentation creation to coherently scope MVP content for a reskin and 10+ new levels. This included what asset requirements design requires, difficulty ramping of new levels, the integration of a new star rating, and level design that coherently fits with the existing game

• In-engine creation of 10+ levels

• Gameplay balancing: new level difficulties & new star rating score thresholds

Adventure Island

Google Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ozuma.adventureisland 

Adventure Island is a casual take on World of Warcraft, with a core gameplay loop of defeating enemies to collect resources which are traded in at different vendors to complete quests for gold, used to unlock more of the island.

I was brought onto the project post-launch with the goal of extending playtime by adding new levels and exploring new ways to monetize with rewarded video.

Contribution

• In-engine level creation & environment design: new island location, props, environment design, island unlock costs, enemy spawn placements 

• In-engine monetization design: new island locations unlocked using rewarded video 

• Meta & economy design: new stats upgrade meta & coin sinks

Marvel HQ

Google Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.storytoys.marvelhq.googleplay 

App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/app/marvel-hq-kids-super-hero-fun/id1633050797 

Marvel HQ is a Marvel sub-brand, with iconic Marvel heroes such as Spiderman, Hulk and Iron Man redesigned for very young audiences. The Marvel HQ game is a subscription service containing fun activities and mini-games, centred on these redesigned Marvel heroes.

I was brought onto the project, which had already existed for a significant amount of time before I joined, to create short design guidance (mini-game design documentation) for two mini-games to live in the Marvel HQ game, of which one made it into the final game: Marvel Action Sequences, a 'living stickerbook' in which users place the correct sticker in the correct spot across different Marvel HQ-themed environments.

Contribution

• Very short game design documentation write-up to guide the development for Marvel Action Sequences, an interactive stickerbook concept provided by the IP licensor. Design included outlining age-appropriate user input, helper guides to assist young audiences idle on screens for long periods of time, Marvel HQ-branded locations, heroes and villains to include, and sticker poses, taken directly from the hit Marvel HQ TV show, alongside light UI/UX and level design outlines suitable for very young audiences

Ammo Fever

Google Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ozuma.ammofever 

Ammo Fever is a casual, wave-based zone defence game, fusing an idle meta with cannon-based combat.

As a brand-new title, I was involved from the pre-production phase right the way to its initial launch.

Contribution

• Short game design documentation outlining MVP content for an initial launch: single-level concept outline, core gameplay loops, art & sound asset requirements, enemy wave patterns, gameplay values design (weapon damage values, weapon production times, weapon production costs etc.)

• In-engine level design: A single big level 

• Created all in-game resource UI icons

• In-engine gameplay balancing

• In-engine meta & economy balancing

RNLI: Storm Force Rescue

Google Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.rnli.stormforce 

App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/app/rnli-storm-force-rescue/id6478234948 

RNLI: Storm Force Rescue is a work-for-hire project on behalf of the UK's oldest charity: The Royal National Lifeboat Institute, with the aim of teaching young children about water safety by recreating similar scenarios to real-world RNLI rescue missions. 

I was brought onto the project during the early planning phase to outline baseline design direction for client feedback & approval

Contribution

• Game design documentation outlining character speech and mission text (with simplified variations for users under 7 years old), cutscene planning, mission outlines, hazards and threats, pickups, badge collection meta, character upgrade meta, gameplay loops, progression systems, FTUE & onboarding, future seasonal content, and music/SFX requirements

Unlaunched & Unannounced Titles

I've worked on a further 4 titles which haven't yet launched or are work-for-hire projects that are not yet publically revealed. I've contributed to these projects in a number of ways:

• 6 In-engine level creations for a puzzle game inspired by the mechanics of Chu Chu Rocket

• Detailed game design document creation for 3 titles, outlining all facets of the game for both internal and client sign-off

• Level white-boxing using ProBuilder for 1 title