During some free time, a few peers and I participated in a two-week game jam where we developed Quello Quest. The sole constraint was the theme: "give and take." We strived to bring a unique twist to this concept, creating an extraordinary and innovative game that truly stood out.
Genre: 3D Adventure
Engine: Unity
Team Size: 5 People
Playthrough
Play Here
Production Process
Games Premise
This game is set on the surface of a vibrant planet, and we aimed to create something truly distinctive to make it memorable. In Quello Quest, the player explores various outposts in search of the missing parts of their spaceship. A special twist in the game is that the longer you take, the further you will sink into the planet.
The name "Quello" is a playful combination of "quicksand" and "jello," reflecting both the sinking mechanic and the bright, cartoon-like colors found on the planet.
Game Design
When designing this game, I envisioned keeping a significant portion of the planet barren, allowing players to get lost occasionally, which I found to be quite enjoyable during development. There were moments when I was sure I knew my way back to the ship, only to find myself on the opposite side of the planet. This created exciting opportunities for pathfinding and player exploration.
The main objective is to collect the missing parts of your ship. There are three different campsites where these parts can spawn, and within each camp, there are three possible locations for the items to appear. This setup ensures that players can experience the game multiple times with different outcomes, keeping the gameplay loop fresh and enjoyable.
Difficulty Selection
When you load into the game, the first thing you will see is the difficulty selection screen. This choice determines how many parts you will need to collect for your ship.
Easy: 1 part
Medium: 2 parts
Hard: 3 parts
Level Design
Camp 1
This is the first camp the player will most likely encounter (based on brief play-testing, 4 out of 5 players discovered this camp first). It is designed to be the simplest of the three camps, with clear and visible spawn locations for the ship's parts and only one hazard: a security camera. This camera takes the form of an eyeball plant that looks back and forth, typically positioned in higher places.
The spawn locations, from left to right, are as follows:
1. On top of the building roof, allowing the player to spot it from a distance.
2. Floating above the ground, requires the player to utilize the planet's lower gravity and surrounding buildings to reach it.
3. On top of the tallest building in the camp, necessitating a bit more climbing but offering a great view of the surrounding areas from the top.
Camp 2
This is Camp 2. Its design is more natural in shape, loosely resembling Africa. Unlike the first camp, this one has no security cameras but challenges the player with the positioning of the parts.
The spawn locations, from top to bottom, are as follows:
1. Floating slightly above the ground, allowing the player to use a couple of different buildings to jump up and reach it.
2. Positioned further to the right in what was initially "dead space." The part was previously on a building, but players often missed it there. By moving it to the left, more in line with the two entrances, players found it easier to spot when passing by.
3. On top of a watchtower, which is the hardest spawn location in this camp. Given the difficulty of climbing the tower, there are no additional threats like cameras. Reaching the top rewards the player with both the part and a stunning view of the planet and surrounding areas.
Camp 3
The final camp is the most challenging to sneak into and retrieve the parts of your ship. When designing this camp, I aimed for it to resemble a dumbbell, with a narrow entranceway heavily guarded by security Eyes, leading into two larger rooms.
From left to right:
1. The room on the left is a symmetrical compound with a part located at the back of the building if it spawns there. There are also two security Eyes monitoring your entrance into this section.
2. In the center, there is heavy security with a spawn location directly in the line of sight of two Eyes. This setup leaves the player with a brief window to time their approach and escape without being seen.
3. On the right, there is a more relaxed "living quarters" area. Two security Eyes watch the entrance here as well, and there is a spawn location suspended above the center building. To reach it, players must use the buildings above or below as a bridge, taking a leap of faith to grab the part.
Team Members
Concept/UI/3D Artist: Seth Anderson
Character Modeler: Wyatt Rickwood
Asset Modeler: Hayden Backhouse
Foliage Artist: Veronica Visla
