Read the routeMove & fightRefine the runImprove the time
01 / CORE GAMEPLAY
Traversal rules & player input
I designed and implemented the parkour controller, input handling and checkpoints in Unreal Engine. Wall runs, dashes, slides, ledge grabs and wall jumps give the player different ways to solve a route. The design problem is how those actions connect: a useful move should be easy to initiate and leave the player ready for the next one. Originally shown as Vexar, the project shifted toward time-attack play as traversal became its strongest feature.
I integrated melee combat and enemy AI with traversal, and prototyped an exploding nano knife, blink teleport and time rewind. Each ability introduces a different decision during a run: engage an enemy, change position or recover from a mistake. My design goal was to make combat part of route planning, with readable actions that preserve the pace of movement.
MELEE & ENCOUNTERS
Close-range combat against an enemy prototype in the traversal test environment. Dialogue devlog, approximately 0:14.
I built dialogue presentation around speaker names, portraits, progressive text reveal and highlighted words. Playback speed, auto-advance and skip controls let the player decide how long to stay in a conversation. From a technical design perspective, these controls need to work together: advancing text and advancing to the next line should remain understandable throughout playback. The footage shows the system alongside the combat prototype.
DIALOGUE PRESENTATION
Character-led dialogue with highlighted text and pacing controls. Dialogue devlog, approximately 0:37.
I implemented account creation, hosted data and a global leaderboard in the level browser. These systems support the time-attack loop by connecting level selection to a result the player can compare. The development build demonstrates the online browser and leaderboard; Steam and Epic Online Services integration were still planned at that stage.
Watch development video ↗Level browser, online functionality and global leaderboard — development update.
DESIGN RATIONALE
A repeatable route-learning loop
The core loop is to read a route, combine traversal and combat, then replay it to improve the time. That gives each supporting system a purpose: checkpoints help players recover, abilities offer alternative actions, and the leaderboard gives the result context. Community-made levels were a longer-term direction, rather than a finished feature in the build shown here.
