Bugs!

Inspiration

Bugs was directly inspired by my previous game, 'Plants!'. I had implemented a simple bug catching mechanic that attracted a ton of attention from our younger audience that didn't have the attention span for a plant simulator. We took that idea, cranked it up, and that became Bugs!

What it does

Bugs! is an open ended cozy game. Players score points by catching bugs, but there is no timer. There is no 'winning'. We do include leaderboards for the more competitive players, but the intention behind bugs is to create a fun, relaxing environment where players can set their own goals.

There are two progression paths in bugs: lures and cosmetics.

Catching bugs earns exp. The more exp you earn, the more powerful lures you unlock. Lures can be crafted using mushrooms, honey, and silk that can be found throughout the island. Lures can increase the rate bugs spawn, allow rare bugs to spawn, or both.

Players have backpacks that can be unlocked using the 'Bug Bits' currency. Bug bits are earned via a daily log in bonus and daily tasks that players can complete.

There are also a few points of interest that give players a chance to relax away from the action, socialize with friends, and take in the beuatiful environment.

How we built it

While originally I started coding the game using the code blocks system, eventually we converted everything over to TypeScript. Any sort of 'shop' interaction, or anywhere players can find information was built using the custom UI tool. Most work was done in the desktop editor, though extensive work and testing was done on all compatiple platforms.

The art was done primarily in Maya and Blender. Much of the art used vertex coloring rather than texturing to maximize optimization. The sky, clouds, and mountains were all done in painterly.

Challenges we ran into

Time is always a challenge. The technologies used are fairly new, and the Horizon platform is not always the most stable. One of the biggest challenges of any competition like this is scoping the project. There are definitely a ton more we would have like to include, but the reality is that there was only so much that could be done.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our day/night cycle looks incredible thanks to our amazing artist Jelitza. The actual mechanics of it are so simple, but the art just looks divine. I'm really pleased with how it came out.

What we learned

I spent a good portion of my time giving myself a crash course on TypeScript. Starting with my code block scripts and converting them to TS was a great way to dive into the new language.

On the art side our artist was able to experiment with Painterly as well as do some very cool character modeling, which was a first for us.

What's next for Bugs!

Built With

• blender
• horizon-worlds
• maya
• painterly
• typescript