Concept and Initial Idea
For my midterm project, I wanted to create a game based on music. My initial idea was more of a DJ style game where the player would first choose between different music genres, such as 2000s pop, childhood nostalgia, and house music. After choosing a genre, they would enter a DJ setup where they could interact with the music. I also wanted to include a tutorial that would explain how the game works and what the different controls do.
The first sketch of my game idea
Developing My Idea
After thinking about the project more, I decided that I wanted there to be more of an actual game element rather than only having the player interact with a DJ setup. I kept the idea of choosing between different music genres, but developed the main part into a music based runner game. The player will choose a genre and then control a character that runs through the game while avoiding different obstacles. Each genre will have different music, and I also want the background and obstacles to change depending on the genre. I am also considering having some elements of the game change when the song changes.
The second sketch of my game
User Interaction
The game will begin with a starting screen called Rhythm Rush. From here, the player can choose either Start or Tutorial. If the player chooses Tutorial, they will be taken through a few screens explaining how the game works and what the controls do. If they choose Start, they will be taken to the genre selection screen, where they can choose the type of music they want to play with. Once they select a genre, the game will begin. The player will use the keyboard to control their character, using the space bar to jump and C to crouch to avoid different obstacles while the selected music plays. After the game ends, I want to include an option to restart so the player can play again or choose a different genre.
Code Progress
I have started working on the code for my project. So far, I created the starting screen for Rhythm Rush, added a background image and custom font, and started experimenting with adding sound to the game. For now, I wanted to complete the starting screen and make sure it was working before moving on to building the runner portion of the game and the different interactions.
Most Uncertain Part
The part I am most uncertain about is working with the music in the game. Since I want to include different songs, I want to make sure that the transitions between them are smooth rather than having one song suddenly stop and another one start. I am also still figuring out how to work with sound in my code. For example, I tried adding a song to my starting screen, but right now the audio is not playing even though I have added it to the code. I have been testing it and trying to figure out what is causing the problem. I want to get the audio working properly first before moving on to adding multiple songs and creating smooth transitions between them.