Esc 2
“Esc 2 - The ultimate escape challenge! You’re the Esc key, trapped on the office desk, battling against an army of keyboard keys. With each level, the enemies multiply, but fear not! Equip your fists with fire, ice, or lightning gloves and show them who’s boss. Clear levels to upgrade your abilities and become unstoppable. Play Esc 2, climb the leaderboards, and prove that you are the escapiest Esc key!”
Esc 2 is a dynamic action game developed for the ScoreSpace Jam #29 🕹️, where the theme was "Escape." The game centres around the Esc key, who finds itself on an office desk, battling an army of keyboard keys. Each level intensifies as more enemies appear, challenging the player to become more strategic in their upgrades and combat techniques. The player can equip the Esc key with elemental fists—fire, ice, or lightning—to gain an advantage over the enemy keys. As levels progress, players can upgrade their abilities, striving to become the ultimate escape artist.
The main menu of "Esc 2," offers options to "Play Game," "Settings," "Credits," and "Leaderboards." Leaderboards was a necessary feature for this game jam. Players control the Esc key (using WASD to move), battling waves of enemy keys, including larger bosses like Enter and Space, requiring strategic thinking to progress.
Set on an office desk, the environment includes everyday 3D objects like calculators, staplers, and notepads, enhancing immersion. The HUD provides key information such as equipped weapons, total score, currency, and current round, allowing players to strategize effectively.
Players can upgrade their abilities through the in-game store, equipping elemental fists like Fire, Ice, and Lightning, and enhancing speed, health, and attack damage for deeper gameplay. Critical stats such as health and remaining enemies are displayed, ensuring players are always aware of their status.
After each intense round, a transition screen invites players to "Start Next Round," offering a brief respite. The game's detailed design makes each key character unique and engaging, creating an immersive and strategic gaming experience, showcasing the creativity and attention to detail that makes "Esc 2" a standout entry.
Gameplay Mechanics
"Esc 2" is designed as a dynamic action game where strategic thinking is essential. Players control the Esc key and battle against waves of keyboard keys, including boss keys like Enter and Space. The gameplay revolves around using elemental fists—Fire, Ice, and Lightning—which add unique effects to combat. The Fire Fist delivers extra burn damage, the Ice Fist can freeze enemies temporarily, and the Lightning Fist stuns multiple foes at once.
Each elemental fist enhances the speed and strength of the player's attacks, adding layers of strategy as players decide which upgrades best fit their play style. Players can customize their character's abilities, focusing on speed, health, or attack power, allowing for personalized gameplay and ensuring each playthrough feels unique.
Challenges and Achievements
Developing "Esc 2" presented a significant challenge due to time constraints. Despite having several days for the game jam, my teammate and I were juggling full-time work commitments, which limited our development hours. A classic challenge we faced was balancing the game's progression and difficulty, ensuring that players could enjoy steady upgrades without the game becoming too easy or difficult.
This required us to implement and test various enemy behavior patterns and upgrade pricing structures under tight deadlines. Our biggest achievement was completing a functional and enjoyable game within 72 hours, which received positive feedback from the gaming community for its creativity and unique concept. It was immensely rewarding to see "Esc 2" recognized for its engaging gameplay and innovative take on the theme.
Team Contributions and Collaboration
The success of "Esc 2" was a testament to effective collaboration. My primary responsibilities were in 3D art and level design, as well as the creation of 2D UI elements and character design. Meanwhile, my teammate took charge of programming, handling gameplay mechanics, and integrating scores with the leaderboard system.
We communicated frequently to ensure that the visual and technical components of the game were seamlessly integrated. This collaboration allowed us to create a cohesive game that balanced visual appeal with technical functionality, demonstrating our ability to work effectively as a team under pressure.
Personal Contributions
In the development of Esc 2, my primary responsibilities included the following:
- 3D Art and Level Design: I created the 3D models for the keyboard keys and designed the overall world space that serves as the backdrop for the game. 3D assets depicting the office supplies were sourced from the Unity Store. Those were created by Sten Ulfsson, and the “Office Supplies Low Poly” is found here. My focus was on ensuring the assets fit seamlessly into the aesthetic of the game and provided a cohesive player experience.
- 2D Art and UI Design: I designed the user interface elements, including images for power-ups and buttons. This involved creating visual assets that aligned with the game's theme while ensuring intuitive navigation for players. Elements such as fonts and the coin icon were acquired from online sources.
- Coin icon: created by turkkub, available here
- Character Design: I was responsible for conceptualizing and modelling the characters, including their appearances and animations, ensuring they contributed to the immersive gameplay experience.
Future Improvements or Features
Looking ahead, we have several exciting ideas for expanding "Esc 2." We plan to introduce a wider variety of enemy types, such as ranged attackers, tanks, and magic users, to add depth and challenge to the gameplay. We also want to enhance the balance of enemy waves to ensure a more engaging difficulty curve.
Additionally, we envision introducing new levels set in different environments beyond the office, such as home offices, libraries, and classrooms. These changes would provide fresh visuals and gameplay dynamics, keeping players engaged and eager to explore new settings.
Player Feedback and Testing
Feedback from players during the game jam provided valuable insights into areas for improvement. Many players enjoyed the unique concept and addictive gameplay loop but suggested enhancements to combat impact, such as adding knockback or stagger effects to enemies to make punches feel more satisfying.
Others mentioned that the game's progression felt slow, with players desiring faster access to new weapons and upgrades. Several users highlighted the need for more varied enemy behavior to prevent the game from feeling predictable. We also received suggestions for improved controls, enemy indicators, and a more fluid gameplay pace.
This feedback will guide us in refining "Esc 2" to deliver an even more immersive and enjoyable experience. We are grateful for the constructive feedback and look forward to implementing these ideas in future updates.
Summary
Creating Esc 2 for ScoreSpace Jam #29 was an exhilarating experience that pushed my skills in both 3D and 2D art design. Collaborating with my teammate, we successfully developed a game that was not only fun to play but visually engaging. The positive feedback received from the gaming community has been incredibly rewarding, motivating us to continue improving and expanding upon our game development skills.
Development Tools and Technologies
- Game Engine: Unity
- 3D Modeling Software: Blender
- 2D Art Software: Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop
- Programming Language: C# (for game mechanics and interactions)
- Version Control: Git
