Sorc3ry
This project was a bit of a solo game jam that I felt like working on in late 2017. The game is built in GameMaker with art assets created in GIMP. It's not the most beautiful of things, but it was so invigorating to design, draw, code, and just create something from scratch over the course of a few days. Below are some blurbs from the design notes that guided the project. After the notes, you'll find some gameplay footage from a very...let's say early...prototype. The objective is to damage the enemy by making matches on the game board. I think the symbol replacement logic could be improved to a point where you won't experience a waterfall of color, but it's not bad for a first go. And hey, at least it's visually pleasing!
This project was a bit of a solo game jam that I felt like working on in late 2017. The game is built in GameMaker with art assets created in GIMP. It's not the most beautiful of things, but it was so invigorating to design, draw, code, and just create something from scratch over the course of a few days. Below are some blurbs from the design notes that guided the project. After the notes, you'll find some gameplay footage from a very...let's say early...prototype. The objective is to damage the enemy by making matches on the game board. I think the symbol replacement logic could be improved to a point where you won't experience a waterfall of color, but it's not bad for a first go. And hey, at least it's visually pleasing!
Concept
Sorc3ry is a match 3 puzzle game that puts a little more power in the player's hands via the use of magical spells. Getting matches of varying sizes will charge the player's spells to allow them to manipulate the game board. Straying from the typical match 3 game style, the player controls a sorcerer/sorceress character who takes up a space on the game board. This character has a limited amount of health that can be depleted over the course of a game. The player has to use the game board to keep the character alive as well as accomplish the game board objective for each level.
Game Board
The game board is a grid of magical symbols, color-coded to match an element of magic. The player can swap these symbols to line up groups of 3 or more matching symbols. These symbols cannot be swapped if the move does not result in a line of 3 or more matching symbols. In addition to magical symbols, there is also a sorcerer/sorceress character taking up on of the game board spaces. The character can swap with symbols regardless of a resulting matching symbol line. If there is no match after the character is swapped, the character loses some health. The game board can be manipulated with special tiles and the character's magic spells. When matches are performed by the player, the symbols above the match will fall into place and new symbols will fall into the top of the game board.
Sorcerer
The sorcerer/sorceress character takes up one space on the game board. This character can swap with magic symbols regardless of a resulting match. If the swap does not result in a match, the character will lose some health. The character also stores charges of magic spells based on the player performance of the core match 3 mechanics. If the character loses all of their health, the game is over.
Spells
General
The sorcerer character earns charge for magic spells based on the player's performance in the core match 3 gameplay. There are 5 magic spells that manipulate the game board in some way, and they are earned by matching varying line lengths of magic symbols.
Match 3 - Symbol Shift
Matching 3 symbols will earn charge toward the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 3 match 3's will give the sorcerer 1 charge of Symbol Shift. The sorcerer can hold up to 3 charges of Symbol Shift at one time.
Symbol Shift allows the player to choose any magic symbol on the game board and change it to a symbol of their choice. The player activates Symbol Shift, selects a target symbol, the game presents the player with each available magic symbol (excluding the current symbol), and the player selects the symbol they want to change the target to.
Match 4 - Tele-Swap
Matching 4 symbol will earn charge toward the Tele-Swap spell and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 2 match 4's will give the sorcerer a charge of Tele-Swap. The sorcerer can hold up to 2 charges of Tele-Swap at one time.
Tele-Swap allows the player to swap the sorcerer with any magic symbol on the game board. The player can swap the sorcerer regardless of a resulting match, however, the sorcerer will lose some health if the swap does not result in a match. The player activates Tele-Swap, selects a target symbol, and the sorcerer will swap places with the target symbol.
Match 5 - Arcane Laser
Matching 5 symbols will earn charge toward the Arcane Laser spell, the Tele-Swap spell, and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 1 match 5 will give the sorcerer a charge of Arcane Laser. The sorcerer can hold up to 1 charge of Arcane Laser at one time.
Arcane Laser allows the player to have the sorcerer fire a linear laser in any direction from the sorcerer's space on the game board. This spell destroys any symbols on the game board caught in its path, causing new symbols to fall into place. If the game board objective involves defeating an enemy, if the laser is fired in the direction of the enemy, the enemy will take severe damage. The player activates Arcane Laser, selects a direction for the laser to be fired in, and the sorcerer will let loose the spell.
Match Cross (3x3 & 4x3) - Arcane Cross
Matching a 3x3 or 4x3 cross will earn charge toward the Arcane Cross spell, the Tele-Swap spell, and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 1 3x3 or 4x3 cross match will give the sorcerer a charge of Arcane Cross. The sorcerer can hold up to 1 charge of Arcane Cross at one time.
Arcane Cross allows the player to have the sorcerer fire 4 linear lasers from the sorcerer's space on the game board. This spell destroys any symbols on the game board caught in its path, causing new symbols to fall into place. If the game board objective involves defeating an enemy, if the laser is fired in the direction of the enemy, the enemy will take severe damage. The player activates Arcane Cross and the sorcerer will let loose the spell.
Match Cross (5x3) - Meteor Shower
Matching a 5x3 cross will earn charge toward the Meteor Shower spell, the Tele-Swap spell, and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 1 5x3 cross match will give the sorcerer a charge of Meteor Shower. The sorcerer can hold up to 1 charge of Meteor Shower at one time.
Meteor Shower allows the player to destroy all symbols of a single type currently on the game board, however, the player does not choose the color that is destroyed. If the game board objective involves defeating an enemy, that enemy will take sever damage. The player activates Meteor Shower, the game presents the player with a roulette of magic symbols, the player taps/clicks the roulette to begin its slow down, and after the roulette stops the sorcerer lets loose the spell.
The game board is a grid of magical symbols, color-coded to match an element of magic. The player can swap these symbols to line up groups of 3 or more matching symbols. These symbols cannot be swapped if the move does not result in a line of 3 or more matching symbols. In addition to magical symbols, there is also a sorcerer/sorceress character taking up on of the game board spaces. The character can swap with symbols regardless of a resulting matching symbol line. If there is no match after the character is swapped, the character loses some health. The game board can be manipulated with special tiles and the character's magic spells. When matches are performed by the player, the symbols above the match will fall into place and new symbols will fall into the top of the game board.
Sorcerer
The sorcerer/sorceress character takes up one space on the game board. This character can swap with magic symbols regardless of a resulting match. If the swap does not result in a match, the character will lose some health. The character also stores charges of magic spells based on the player performance of the core match 3 mechanics. If the character loses all of their health, the game is over.
Spells
General
The sorcerer character earns charge for magic spells based on the player's performance in the core match 3 gameplay. There are 5 magic spells that manipulate the game board in some way, and they are earned by matching varying line lengths of magic symbols.
Match 3 - Symbol Shift
Matching 3 symbols will earn charge toward the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 3 match 3's will give the sorcerer 1 charge of Symbol Shift. The sorcerer can hold up to 3 charges of Symbol Shift at one time.
Symbol Shift allows the player to choose any magic symbol on the game board and change it to a symbol of their choice. The player activates Symbol Shift, selects a target symbol, the game presents the player with each available magic symbol (excluding the current symbol), and the player selects the symbol they want to change the target to.
Match 4 - Tele-Swap
Matching 4 symbol will earn charge toward the Tele-Swap spell and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 2 match 4's will give the sorcerer a charge of Tele-Swap. The sorcerer can hold up to 2 charges of Tele-Swap at one time.
Tele-Swap allows the player to swap the sorcerer with any magic symbol on the game board. The player can swap the sorcerer regardless of a resulting match, however, the sorcerer will lose some health if the swap does not result in a match. The player activates Tele-Swap, selects a target symbol, and the sorcerer will swap places with the target symbol.
Match 5 - Arcane Laser
Matching 5 symbols will earn charge toward the Arcane Laser spell, the Tele-Swap spell, and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 1 match 5 will give the sorcerer a charge of Arcane Laser. The sorcerer can hold up to 1 charge of Arcane Laser at one time.
Arcane Laser allows the player to have the sorcerer fire a linear laser in any direction from the sorcerer's space on the game board. This spell destroys any symbols on the game board caught in its path, causing new symbols to fall into place. If the game board objective involves defeating an enemy, if the laser is fired in the direction of the enemy, the enemy will take severe damage. The player activates Arcane Laser, selects a direction for the laser to be fired in, and the sorcerer will let loose the spell.
Match Cross (3x3 & 4x3) - Arcane Cross
Matching a 3x3 or 4x3 cross will earn charge toward the Arcane Cross spell, the Tele-Swap spell, and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 1 3x3 or 4x3 cross match will give the sorcerer a charge of Arcane Cross. The sorcerer can hold up to 1 charge of Arcane Cross at one time.
Arcane Cross allows the player to have the sorcerer fire 4 linear lasers from the sorcerer's space on the game board. This spell destroys any symbols on the game board caught in its path, causing new symbols to fall into place. If the game board objective involves defeating an enemy, if the laser is fired in the direction of the enemy, the enemy will take severe damage. The player activates Arcane Cross and the sorcerer will let loose the spell.
Match Cross (5x3) - Meteor Shower
Matching a 5x3 cross will earn charge toward the Meteor Shower spell, the Tele-Swap spell, and the Symbol Shift spell. Performing 1 5x3 cross match will give the sorcerer a charge of Meteor Shower. The sorcerer can hold up to 1 charge of Meteor Shower at one time.
Meteor Shower allows the player to destroy all symbols of a single type currently on the game board, however, the player does not choose the color that is destroyed. If the game board objective involves defeating an enemy, that enemy will take sever damage. The player activates Meteor Shower, the game presents the player with a roulette of magic symbols, the player taps/clicks the roulette to begin its slow down, and after the roulette stops the sorcerer lets loose the spell.
Sorc3ry gameplay
