Overview
Celestial Frontier was my final project at college, and it was a culmination of everything I had learned throughout my studies. The game is a singleplayer Planetary Card Battler, where players must terraform planets destined for doom using their celestial powers to restore balance so the inhabitants may prosper. I designed and implemented the game mechanics and created the artwork and animations. This game took a lot of time and effort to create, but I am proud of the final result. It was a great learning experience for me, and it allowed me to develop my skills in game design, art, and programming.
Key Features
Turn-Based Combat
Calculated turn-based combat system with typing and interesting effects.
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Procedural Generation
Dynamic level generation that creates unique experiences for each playthrough.
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Custom Artwork
Hand-crafted visuals that bring the game's world to life, created using Unreal Engine 5's art tools.
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Reflection
Proof that I had grown in all aspects of game development.
The card system took several months to create. It required typing, card design, and a level of intuitive implementation that meant anyone could boot the game and play.
The procedural planet, species and sun generation using the UE5 materials system. Having procedural planets really allowed the replayability to shine, as well as the style of the game. Having a different world each time the player starts a new attempts keeps the game fresh and interesting. Plus the generated names can be funny sometimes too.
I would have liked to implement some form of shop/upgrade system to add more nuance to the gameplay. I was also thinking of adding some kind of evolution system to the species so that the conditions the player needs to meet are more dynamic.
The importance of research, planning and iteration. Taking the time to plan a project before diving into development saves a lot of time and effort in the long run. I also learned to have fun with a project and not be afraid to experiment. I really branched out of my comfort zone to explore new ideas and approaches as well as making a couple systems from scratch.