Rhythm Fighting Game | Shenkar - Engineering. Design. Art. Project
My Roles:
Game Designer: Designed mechanics, progression systems, and AI behavior.
Project Manager: Managed task breakdowns, sprint planning, team check-ins, and production tracking.
Programmer: Built gameplay systems and developed a custom audio-sync level creation tool.
Project Overview
Rhythm Dash is a rhythm-based fighting game where players must time their attacks with the beat of the music to achieve the highest score possible.
Core Concepts:
Player actions (attacks) must match the musical rhythm for maximum points.
Difficulty dynamically increases with faster songs and more complex rhythms.
Real-time feedback and scoring are based on musical accuracy and timing.
Project Details:
Genre: Rhythm, Fighting, Top-Down
Engine: Unity
Team Size: 4 Developers
Duration: 10 Weeks
Platforms: PC, Android
Designing Core Gameplay Systems
I was responsible for designing the foundational systems that drove the gameplay experience:
* Timing-based Combat: Attacks are only successful if timed correctly to the beat.
* Scoring System: Designed to reward rhythmic accuracy, including combo multipliers for consistent timing.
* Progression Design: Levels increase in musical complexity and speed, requiring sharper reactions.
* Scoring System: Designed to reward rhythmic accuracy, including combo multipliers for consistent timing.
* Progression Design: Levels increase in musical complexity and speed, requiring sharper reactions.
The design philosophy was to create a strong connection between player input, music, and visual feedback, reinforcing rhythm mastery as the key to success.
Technical Contributions: Custom Music Integration Tool
One of the main technical challenges was enabling our musician to create playable levels without needing direct programming input.
I designed and programmed a custom audio syncing system:
* The musician created beat timing data using FL Studio (a music editing software).
* Exported timing data was organized into sound queues.
* Unity reads this queue, synchronizing beats and enemy spawns dynamically based on the music.
This system allowed:
* Seamless integration between music composition and level creation.
* Rapid iteration on new tracks without needing to rebuild the game manually.
* Additionally, I programmed all of the game's core mechanics and combat features using C# inside Unity.
Project Manager
As Project Manager, I ensured smooth project flow and communication by:
* Creating a feature breakdown and estimating time for all major systems and assets.
* Maintaining the team’s Trello board, organizing tasks by sprint priorities.
* Hosting daily stand-ups and writing meeting notes to track decisions and blockers.
* Producing a final breakdown chart summarizing our project delivery and timelines.
Good Scrum practices helped the team stay focused and allowed rapid iteration, which was critical in a 10-week development window.
Key Takeaways from Rhythm Dash
Rhythm mechanics require tight synchronization between audio, visuals, and player input.
* Tooling for non-programmers (like the FL Studio integration) dramatically speeds up content creation.
* Clear Scrum practices kept the team organized and efficient in a short timeframe.
* Fast feedback loops between the musician and gameplay systems were crucial for aligning rhythm feel with gameplay challenge.
