My contributions: Game Design, Programming, Technical Art, Sound Design
Beach Chickens is a mobile game I independently created as a side project. The goal was to create and publish a game from end-to-end, tackling every challenge along the way. The game itself is rather simple: the user collects fries, which get exchanged for coins that can be used to purchase cosmetics.
You can tap to flap your wings, and swipe to dodge. As you collect more fries, the procedurally generated obstacles spawn more frequently, and your Beach Chicken moves faster. Fries spawn on the ground, on obstacles, as well as in the air (attached to an umbrella.)
You will have to guide your Beach Chicken around obstacles like balls, drones, lifeguard towers... and even other enemy beach chickens!
I wrote all of the code for the game, including the game logic, the user interface, as well as the cosmetics system myself. I also produced all of the music and sound effects.
I also implemented in-game advertisements via Unity Ads, as well as an In-App Purchase system myself.
Cosmetics
I'm particularly proud of the cosmetics system I implemented in the game. In total, there are 10 skins, 10 trails, and 36 hats that are available to be unlocked. I designed many of these assets myself, and programmed the system to keep track of which cosmetics the user has unlocked. This information is stored in a JSON, and is stored in different ways depending on the platform the user is playing on.
On Apple devices, the user's unlocks even sync across devices, whether the user is playing on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. I achieved this by utilizing Prime31's iCloud plugin.
Leaderboards, IAP, Ads
Beach Chickens has support for native Leaderboards, Ads, and In-App Purchases. Which service is utilized depends on whether the user is playing on Android or iOS.
For leaderboards on Android, Beach Chickens talks to the Google Play Services API. On iOS, Game Center is used. Beach Chickens will launch the appropriate leaderboards that are native to the OS.
For in-app purchase support on both platforms, I utilized Unity IAP which is part of Unity Gaming Services. After setting up the IAPs on Google Play Console and App Store Connect, I was able to allow the user to buy coins that can then in-turn be used to purchase cosmetics.
Level Designs
There are 4 total levels in Beach Chickens, 3 of which are unlocked from the start, and 1 of which is unlockable. Each level has unique enemies and music that I wrote and recorded myself.
Many of the assets that make up these levels are sourced from the Asset Store, or created myself. I took much care to select assets that fit with the theme of each level as well as the game in general, which sometimes required me to modify assets. The lighting of each level is also an important factor in creating a cohesive look. Each level required a different approach.
Beach Chickens is now available on iOS devices via the App Store and Android devices through Google Play.
