Fountain of Youth was created for Brackey’s Game Jam 2022.1 in collaboration with talented illustrator Nick Fairbanks. Teams had just seven days to build a game based on the theme "It Is Not Real." The game follows a young adventurer who stumbles into a mysterious well and must battle through hordes of slime creatures to escape. Players switch between three unique characters, each representing a different stage of life, reinforcing the theme by blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
I built the game in Unity, creating three distinct playable characters, each with unique abilities and attack styles. This added depth to the gameplay, requiring players to strategize based on their character’s strengths. I also designed two unique enemy types and implemented A* pathfinding to allow them to navigate the environment dynamically.
One of the game’s biggest technical challenges was handling isometric visibility. I implemented a system where parts of the environment, such as pillars, dynamically fade when players move behind them, ensuring clear visibility of the character at all times.
The game’s second phase features a giant slime boss with advanced AI. The boss periodically enters a rampage mode, striking nearby players with powerful tentacle attacks that deal heavy damage and knock them back. I also designed a ranged enemy AI that intelligently keeps its distance from the player, dodging attacks and repositioning itself for optimal engagement.
As my first game jam project, Fountain of Youth was a valuable learning experience in rapid game development. It set the foundation for Knightmare, where I improved animation workflows, AI behavior, and procedural level design. The game jam process reinforced the importance of prioritization and efficiency in game development under tight deadlines.
