Project Background

"Money Slave" is a game I developed for Jame Gam #43, a time-constrained video game design contest. The concept of the game is to take control of a bank shareholder who has lost his mind and decided to invest all the company's money in the stock market. The player must defend his position against attacks from his former colleagues.

Game Objective

In this top-down shooter, the player must survive waves of enemies while protecting his money. The accumulated money can be used to buy automatic turrets or to move the bank to a safer location. Lockers appear procedurally and, if destroyed, offer a small bonus to the player. The game also incorporates a day/night cycle, although this feature was added without a clear reason.

Development Process

The development of "Money Slave" was entirely livestreamed on my Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/seed_exe), which added an extra layer of pressure and excitement to the project. Working in real-time in front of an audience was a unique experience that allowed me to receive instant feedback, but it also introduced some challenges, particularly in terms of time management and focus.

What worked well

Basic Concept: The idea of defending a bank from hostile colleagues was well-received. The simple but fun concept made for an engaging gameplay experience.

Automatic Turrets: The addition of turrets as a strategic element enriched the gameplay and gave players multiple options to defend their position.

Day/Night Cycle: While not justified, this cycle added an interesting visual dynamic and contributed to the game's atmosphere.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Time Management: The limited time of the game jam posed challenges in terms of planning and execution. Some features had to be simplified or adjusted to meet the deadlines.

Procedural Spawn: Implementing a procedural spawn system for lockers was more complex than expected and required several adjustments to be balanced.

Uselessness of Some Features: The day/night cycle, while visually interesting, did not add significant value to the gameplay. Better planning would have allowed to focus on more relevant features.

Conclusion

"Money Slave" was a rewarding project that allowed me to explore new ideas while working under pressure. Live development was a unique experience, and while not everything was perfect, the end result is a fun and engaging game. For future projects, I'll be careful to better manage features to maximize their impact on gameplay, while continuing to experiment and have fun in the creation process.