Penguin Physics
Role
Solo Developer
Engine
Unity
Genre
Physics Sim
Platform
Itch.io
Year
2024
Design Pillars
Player experimentation,
Flow state,
Momentum
Penguin Physics is a prototype I made to demonstrate how engaging gameplay can be produced from basic 3D physics. It is focused on the 3D movement of a penguin sliding up and down snowy hills and using its momentum to collect points within a time limit.
This is a game where every design decision made encourages player experimentation and improvisation.
It does this by focusing on physics-based movement, randomising the goal-points each round to increase variety, and allowing the player to set their own spawn point to allow for retrying tricky manoeuvres.
A lot of my work has been very cerebral and mechanical. Penguin Physics is the opposite, and proves I can not only create a game based purely on movement physics, but that I can excel at making it innovative and addictively fun.
This is the Core Loop of Penguin Physics. To make the game fun, I needed to examine each phase and make sure it was satisfying, interesting, and served its purpose:
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Observe: There is an arrow above the penguin that shows the direction of the goal.
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Plan: The movement physics are consistent, making planning their movement intuitive and satisfying.
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Move to Goal: Switching between Airborne and Grounded movement
creates a fun risk-reward where the player will try to aim their direction and momentum before launching into the air.
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Score: The player receives positive audio and visual feedback to indicate they have achieved something.
