Design and Development of Crownshatter, a 2D Action-Adventure RPG
Course Instructor
Pramod Gupta
Abstract
Crownshatter is a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure RPG created as a senior project to explore the full workflow of independent game development. The project focuses on delivering a linear, story-driven experience supported by responsive combat, enemy AI, and a flexible character-building system. The game follows a protagonist whose family is executed by royal decree, setting them on a path of revenge that drives the narrative forward. While the story provides emotional context, the core aim of the project was to design and implement cohesive gameplay systems that support a polished and engaging player experience.
The development of Crownshatter was inspired by a long-standing interest in video games and a desire to understand the technical and artistic decisions involved in creating them. The project became a way to practice turning ideas into functional systems, explore narrative and gameplay integration, and gain experience with industry-standard tools. Unity was chosen as the engine due to its strong 2D workflow, accessible learning curve, and flexibility in prototyping and iteration. Key systems were developed using C#, along with Unity's animation, physics, and UI frameworks.
A central design goal was to keep the story tightly guided while still allowing players to customize their playstyle. To achieve this balance, the game uses a card-based augment system that lets players unlock and equip different abilities and modifiers as they level up. Inspired by build-crafting systems found in many action RPGs, this mechanic underwent several iterations to ensure upgrades felt meaningful, balanced, and easy to understand.
Development required building modular, reusable systems for player movement, combat, and enemy behavior, allowing new gameplay content to be added efficiently. Significant time was spent refining movement responsiveness, tuning hitboxes, adjusting combat timing, and polishing animations and visual feedback. Playtesting played an important role, helping identify issues with pacing, difficulty, and clarity, which guided the final round of adjustments and improvements.
The resulting project represents a functional prototype that achieves the core goals of demonstrating game design, programming, and system integration. Crownshatter reflects the challenges and learning experiences of solo development, including managing scope, prioritizing features, and adapting plans based on available time. Although not fully complete, the project provides a solid foundation for future improvements and serves as a practical demonstration of the skills required to bring an original game concept to life.
Design and Development of Crownshatter, a 2D Action-Adventure RPG
Crownshatter is a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure RPG created as a senior project to explore the full workflow of independent game development. The project focuses on delivering a linear, story-driven experience supported by responsive combat, enemy AI, and a flexible character-building system. The game follows a protagonist whose family is executed by royal decree, setting them on a path of revenge that drives the narrative forward. While the story provides emotional context, the core aim of the project was to design and implement cohesive gameplay systems that support a polished and engaging player experience.
The development of Crownshatter was inspired by a long-standing interest in video games and a desire to understand the technical and artistic decisions involved in creating them. The project became a way to practice turning ideas into functional systems, explore narrative and gameplay integration, and gain experience with industry-standard tools. Unity was chosen as the engine due to its strong 2D workflow, accessible learning curve, and flexibility in prototyping and iteration. Key systems were developed using C#, along with Unity's animation, physics, and UI frameworks.
A central design goal was to keep the story tightly guided while still allowing players to customize their playstyle. To achieve this balance, the game uses a card-based augment system that lets players unlock and equip different abilities and modifiers as they level up. Inspired by build-crafting systems found in many action RPGs, this mechanic underwent several iterations to ensure upgrades felt meaningful, balanced, and easy to understand.
Development required building modular, reusable systems for player movement, combat, and enemy behavior, allowing new gameplay content to be added efficiently. Significant time was spent refining movement responsiveness, tuning hitboxes, adjusting combat timing, and polishing animations and visual feedback. Playtesting played an important role, helping identify issues with pacing, difficulty, and clarity, which guided the final round of adjustments and improvements.
The resulting project represents a functional prototype that achieves the core goals of demonstrating game design, programming, and system integration. Crownshatter reflects the challenges and learning experiences of solo development, including managing scope, prioritizing features, and adapting plans based on available time. Although not fully complete, the project provides a solid foundation for future improvements and serves as a practical demonstration of the skills required to bring an original game concept to life.
