Making a chess-like arcade game in a team over 48 hours
January 31, 2022
A friend of mine publishes games made in Godot prolifically. In particular I can’t recommend enough Escape From Planet Sha. It’s free, fun and a little addictive; a puzzle game using gravity in new and interesting ways and quirky, original animations to create a unique experience.
We had discussed for a while doing a game jam together. Clare had spoken to me a lot about Godot’s engine, GDScript and the community, and I was keen to give it a go with a short project. I came to Barcelona so that we could participate in a physical jam: we went to 42 Barcelona which is an impressive modern building with friendly organisers and incredible facilities. If you get the chance to do a game jam there then “in the name of God, go!”
In our team of three and over 48 hours we produced King Rush, a two-player chess-like arcade game in which you have to protect an unpredictable king using pieces which move automatically and take whatever they can in a greedy “lemme at ‘em!” fashion.
My first impressions of game jams is that they foster a real buzz about game development and experimentation. Working with people in an energised/creative setting with some time pressure is a great combination. Despite having only started with Godot a week prior I found the experience a good context to learn in and my team to be great tutors especially as we worked in 3D. I’m proud of what we made together and I’m looking forward to the next one :-)