Backslash

Play as bytes of code on teams of two trying download their program first by controlling capture points.

My Role

With Backslash I was one of the two original designers for the game developing the core movement and combat mechanics, along with level design. That was until halfway through production when we added 2 more designers, due to the lighter load I was able to focus on balancing the game’s systems design as well as creating the two levels around said systems.

Designing the Movement

During the early stages of development we ran into a bug that I’ve run into many times over the course of making games. This bug being the occasional extra jump players can get when they graze a platform, without ever touching it or slowing down they just get a second or third jump. However I always liked doing that in the build, aiming my jumps so I can be that fraction of a second faster. So when instead of taking it out we designed around it. We gave players a dash that players could aim in 360 degrees, then we made it unlimited on the ground, finally adding in walls and platforms players could jump and fall through in the levels. Combining those simple factors made people adore the movement in our game since every time they’d dash through a platform Their jumps and dashes would reset.. They could now maneuver themselves through the air, making a what would be 5 seconds of climbing up stairs into 1 second of dashing through them.

Balancing

The game’s balancing was majorly dependent on what to balance around. Originally the game was balanced around shooting the opponent from across the screen. However it seemed players tended to enjoy themselves more when the game centered around the dash. So as time went on the game became more fast paced and players soon finding no reason not to always be dashing around the map.

Level Design

When designing levels for Backslash emphasis was put on forcing player interaction. In some game modes the two teams did not need to fight each other. So in order to encourage interaction I made the center point the easiest to get to and capture. By doing so players are often drawn to it at the start of the match, making the game feel more action packed.

The Team

Lenny Gingello- Designer
Simon Estabrook- Designer
Dylan Alter- Designer
Cyrus Burris- Producer
Calum Phillips- Programmer