Caverns was initially intended as a platforming narrative adventure that embraced the original jam theme of ‘into the deep’, where you play as a character with a choice to make in each level: Do you choose the easy path that’s very surface-level or choose the harder path of self-reflection and go deeper?

However, the art that I ended up creating for the game demanded a different design. Instead, it became an abstract puzzle platformer where players must find the path through the painted environments to reach the portal that will transport them to the next level.

Art

All background paintings were creating during the duration of the jam using my abstract fluid acrylic painting style. Pieces were chosen based on their perceived epic-ness, their belonging to a cohesive, narrative space and sequence (the backgrounds became progressively darker as players progress deeper and deeper through the caverns), and their potential for creating clear yet challenging paths through the scenes. 

Further Development

Players found the levels quite challenging and there were some problems with the hidden platforms, so further development would focus on refining the platforms and the paths through the levels.

To create a greater sense of epic-ness for each scene, it might be better to reduce the size of the player character and possibly use a moveable camera rather than a fixed screen layout.

To encourage more careful navigation of the levels, I could introduce a lose condition where it becomes possible to die following a fall off a platform and into the abyss. Then, to increase the challenge, there could be collectables placed around the scene that take the player off the main path but provide an additional element of reward if they are able to reach them and continue with the game.

Music & sound by Francesco Sicurella.