CROSS HATCHING
Yukun Fang
Be Water! My Cat!
Type: Mini Game
Team in 3
Time: 2023
Material:
Godot Engine
Role: Game Design, Graphics
Animation
Results: Top 10 Listed in Graphics
Overview
“Be Water! My Cat” is a game that transcends a simple play experience; it’s a lighthearted yet insightful exploration into the world of cats, designed to foster an appreciation for feline behavior and discourage the long-term caging of pets. The game’s development journey was an interplay between addressing the confining nature of cages and celebrating the curious, playful, and “naughty” essence of cats. The intention was to craft an experience that captures the joy of being a cat, enabling players to understand and empathize with their pets’ natural instincts.
In creating “Be Water! My Cat,” I had the unique opportunity to be at the helm of the visual and interactive elements of the game. My role encompassed the entirety of the game’s graphics and animation, as well as the detailed game design. Each texture, character movement, and interactive puzzle was a product of my vision to simulate a cat’s perspective in a way that is both engaging and educational.
Play
The game has a total of two phases, connected by several witty and humorous plot CG.
Phase 1
Kitten can maneuver through narrow gaps in furniture, passing through any space, no matter how small, by transforming her body into “water”. And when the master comes searching, she finds a place to hide that is out of her reach.
A,D: Move Left and Right
W,S,W+Q,W+E: Changing the form of body
Space: Hiding into the furniture
Phase 2
At the end of her journey, Kitten discovers the “treasure” she seeks, the “enemy” she needs to defeat, and how she is going to get through the layers of obstacles to accomplish this great journey? looool
W,A,S,D: Control the direction of movement
Storyline
Design Exploration
The Cat Cage Problem
In order to make people resonate with the playful nature of cats, which seems nonsensical to us humans, we eventually chose a meme "Cat is Water" that has been passed down for a long time as our theme, hoping to inspire a playful mentality and a connection with cats.
Although our main theme is a serious social issue, we don't think a mini game can carry such a big issue in its entirety, and it would be basically impossible to realize a comprehensive and detailed portrayal of that concept. Thus we chose to make a game that would make people lighten up and have a laugh, inspire one's playful instincts through sheer joy, and ultimately synchronize with the cat, as one does when watching first-view cat life videos and in the end our game did well in the humor section ranking, and I'm happy to be able to pass this joy on to more players.
Concept / Story Sketch
TMV
Mechanica Breakdown
Phase 1 Cat Runner
The first part consists of an endless runner game, in which the player can control the kitten to change its body shape and move position to pass different obstacles. Test the player's reaction and hand operation ability. The obstacles overlap each other and gradually zoom in and out from a distance, simulating the perspective of a kitten traveling between furniture. The difficulty curve is determined by the frequency of obstacles, the time interval, and the degree of change.
Obstacle Variations
Level Prototype & Development Method
Countdown System
The first level has a master system in addition to the basic obstacle system, where the master will appear for a short period of time at the end of the countdown, and the player will need to take the opportunity to hide in any cabinets that may appear before then, or the game will fail.
The countdown system in which the master appears is primarily set up to enhance the richness of the gameplay experience, and this system consists of three different timelines that interact with each other. This system is unpredictable from the player's point of view during the initial playthrough, thus providing the player with an object to fight against.
Ideal Scenario
The master's countdown timeline is fixed, the total number of obstacles is fixed, the obstacles stop moving when the cat hides, and the chance to hide is set a little before the master appears.
Scenario 1
The master's countdown timeline is fixed, the total number of obstacles is fixed, the obstacles stop moving when the cat hides, and the chance to hide is set a little before the master appears.
Scenario 2
The master's countdown timeline is fixed, the total number of obstacles is fixed, the obstacles stop moving when the cat hides, and the chance to hide is set a little before the master appears.
Phase 2 Maze
This section imagines and simulates kittens messing around underneath cabinets, and there is a series of maze systems that comprise it. The player needs to maneuver the kitten to extend its arm to touch the cup outside the cabinet and knock it over, and needs to get three small fish crackers at the same time.
The game has a step limit, and the player needs to reach the goal within the specified step limit. We've set an easy step limit to help you get through the game and experience the full storyline, and we've also set a shortest-step hint for players to challenge themselves.
