Cannon Head (Demo)
An upside-down roguelite platformer
Studio: Sonamu Games LLC (self-employed, owner)
Platforms: Windows (Unreleased)
Timeline: December 2020 - July 2021
Responsibilities: Programming, Design, Direction, Production
Tools: GameMaker Studio 2, GML (GameMaker Language), Autodesk Fusion 360
About
Cannon Head is a platformer with roguelike elements where you have to flip upside-down to launch yourself up through winding caves. Shoot, kick, and stomp all enemies in your path to find out what's on the surface of this ruthless planet.
Cannon Head was inspired by a prototype of the same name I had made for the Cool Math Games Game Jam 2019. That version can be found here.
Contributions
I designed and programmed all gameplay elements for the demo. I maintained a detailed game design document throughout development.
I developed the game's unique movement system through a lot of iteration. I created the level generation algorithm and put a lot of work into optimizing the game to handle so many objects at once.
I held a playtest for a late-stage version of the demo. I gathered feedback from 10 players by having them fill-out a survey and submit their game data, which contained detailed analytics about each player's play sessions.
I worked closely with an artist to create a unique arts-and-crafts aesthetic that utilized physical materials such as clay and craft supplies. I developed a technique that turns 2D character outlines into 3D printed cookie-cutters which made it easier to model certain sprites out of clay.
I calculated a budget and timeline for the full-version of the game. I created a pitch deck and presented it to investors in the St. Louis area as a finalist in the TheOther40 business competition.
