The sales pitch

The first step in any development process is (for me, at least) to write up a sort of sales pitch aimed at an imaginary publisher. It might seem a bit backward, but it helps me refocus from hard techs and algorithms to the ultimate goal of the project: entertaining someone who has nothing better to do with her time. It also makes it easier for me to see which parts of the design are important and which parts amount to litte less than pleasure modules.

Overview - the 60-second breakdown

Pux is a fast-action twitch game heavily inspired by the game Cobra Triangle by Rare for the NES. This is made manifest primarily in the gameplay structure of racing a vehicle through a series of different levels chosen from a set of multiple game types. It also lends heavily from some of Cobra Triangle’s mission types. Another game that inspires Pux is Rock N’ Roll Racing by Blizzard for the SNES. This inspiration is more of a spiritual influence rather than a gameplay ancestor.

Players control a Puck, a heavy circular disk moving about on a floor or in corridors littered with obstacles. In this fashion, she must navigate through a series of such levels in succession. The player’s goal differs depending on the current level’s type. In single-player mode, the player traverses a set of increasingy difficult level subsets; in multi-player mode players can either duke it out in a single mode, or do marathon runs through all modes.

The player views the action from a vantage point above the floor. The camera system is allowed to perform certain transforms such as zooming and shaking, but is basically maintaining a fixed relationship to the player’s avatar. Pux is meant to be fast-paced and energetic, so the expected time to finish a level is in the two-minute range. Given the different game modes, it is not possible to peg Pux into any one genre, but does comprise elements of racing, vehicular combat, swarm avoidance and plain arcade action.

Level designs are naturally differing depending on game mode, but there are three basic philosophies that appear: arenas (death match-imitating with open areas connected by corridors; for Twang races, Bombing runs and Escapes), plazas (dominated by one or two open areas; for Demolition and Heists) and tracks (dominated by long stretches of narrow corridors; for Track races). Levels are littered with obstacles ranging from debris, oil slicks, magnetic fields, ramps, explosives, tunnels, breakable objects, other Pucks, darkened areas...

The Pucks themselves are governed by simple 2D physics. Pux is different from many other action games in that there is no explicit death condition: pucks sustain damage which degrade their performance temporarily; in terms of speed and certain bonus functionalities. For instance, an explosion will not actually damage a Puck, but the blast wave will push it away (so well-timed explosions might push you forward), obscure the play field and spread debris. There are rewards to be had for certain achievements – daring jumps, close collisions, won chicken races...

There are six (5 + 1) types of game modes/mission types. The basic game mechanics stay the same, but with altered goals and in some cases computer-controlled Pucks. All modes are playable in multiplayer.

• Track Racing: regular race-to-the-finish game against rival Pucks.
  
• Bombing Run: the player must fetch a bomb and bring it to a certain area, while avoiding a goal keeper Puck.
  
• Twang Race: two Pucks are attached with a wire; one Puck will try to outrun the other for a set duration of time.
  
• Fortress: Pucks fight to stay on a platform while simultaneously trying to push others off the edge.
  
• Escape: Pucks try to outrun a swarm of small, AI-controlled Pucks.
  
• Greed: hailing to retro arcade gaming fans, there are specific bonus levels with a goal of hoarding valuables.

All in all, Pux is a diverse and action-packed arcade game, a heavily disguised racer and an entertaining arena game, rolled into one. It is tailored to skilled players and fans of action games, but still accessible to non-gamers. The short levels makes it suitable for casual gaming as well as longer marathon bouts.