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ROOTKIT RAMPAGE

Jam Submission Page

itch.io Page

Summary

ROOTKIT Rampage is a top-down, bullet-hell action game developed in 48 hours using Unity for the 2023 Global Game Jam. The player is a rootkit virus that infected someone's computer in the early 2000s after tricking them into clicking a suspicious link. Players fight through fifteen unique levels to collect the three keys to the computer's mainframe while avoiding the Firewall's deadly minions. The player must get to the end of each level by destroying files in the environment by hacking them, placing infected files as cover and decoys, and shooting enemies with 1s and 0s to stun them.  

Contributions

Six people worked on ROOTKIT Rampage: five programmers, two of whom made all the art, animations, sounds, and one designer/producer. As the only designer, I was responsible for the majority of the game's mechanic and level designs, including the player metrics and their four abilities, the five enemy types with their metrics, and thirteen of the game's fifteen levels. As our team's producer, I also managed a kanban Miro board and ran post-work meetings where we discussed the work we'd completed so far, the work we still needed to complete to meet our goals, and if we needed to reevaluate the scope of the project. We spent the first night of the jam brainstorming and defining all of the content that we wanted our game to contain, eventually deciding to design and implement fifteen levels, four-player abilities, five unique enemies, and a visual aesthetic that looks like the game world was on the desktop of an early 2000s Windows PC. The next day, I focused on defining the player's abilities and metrics before moving on to the enemies. With my designs for the player, I was able to design each enemy type based on the player's abilities, where each enemy challenges the player differently, pushing them to use their abilities in new and creative ways. On the second and final day of the jam, I poured all my efforts into designing and implementing the game's fifteen levels, which I succeeded in doing. During the entire production process, I also advised my teammates when any aspects of the design needed to be clarified or defined, trying to keep the design and implementation of the game in line to create a cohesive final product.  

Production and Challenges 

ROOTKIT Rampage was easily the most ambitious jam game I’ve ever worked on. Honestly, I was skeptical about meeting our initial goals in 48 hours. But, as we worked, I quickly changed my mind. With the core gameplay loop and mechanics defined in our initial brainstorming meeting, we immediately jumped into implementation into Unity. Our initial meeting and a collective desire to work together in the same room enabled us to succeed as a team, as we encountered little confusion and uncertainty. When something came up, we could discuss and find a solution with minimal friction and time lost. Working on ROOTKIT was a gratifying and enjoyable experience as I designed some of the most challenging, complex systems I’ve ever worked on for a jam while surrounded by trusted developers. With confidence in their skills, I could focus on my work with minimal anxiety and stress. Seeing the mechanics and levels I designed come to life in less than three days is an incredible feeling I’ll never forget. 

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