Project overview
Rush to School! is a fast-paced, top-down pixel game. Before the countdown ends, the player must travel through home, street and school environments, avoiding hazards and enemies, collecting everything needed for class and reaching school in time.
Starting from an original game concept, I developed the visual style, character and environment assets, interaction design, level flow, sound and Unity prototype.
Design goals
- Use clear pixel graphics so players can recognise the character, roads, enemies and collectable items at a glance
- Keep game state visible through the timer, health, backpack and shield indicators
- Build a complete morning narrative—wake up, travel and arrive—across three levels of increasing difficulty
- Balance playability, visual consistency and a sense of completion within a small course project
From testing to refinement
I ran several playtesting rounds and adjusted enemy positions, level pacing and interface information in response to observation and tutor feedback. The final version adds a start screen, pause and mute controls, win-and-lose states, scene transitions and clearer timing and interaction prompts.
Testing helped the work move from a functional prototype to a more complete game experience. It also gave me a much more practical understanding of how visual design supports player decisions.
