Ball & Blade

READ FIRST

HOLD SPACE to unsheathe your blade (and block projectiles in the inner zone), and LET GO to slice any enemies in your outer zone. Master these two concepts and you will have become a swordmaster.

Triangles are projectiles and Squares are enemies.

ABOUT

A game made for NYU's Game Design course in Spring 2023. 

The central premise of this game was "Minimalism" and the only rules were that we had to use only simple geometric shapes for graphics and a single button as input. This game adheres to those rules by using only rectangles, triangles, and circles for graphics (as well as some text) and a single button, the space bar. The blade is made using 4 rectangles, and the player character is made using a circle and a rectangle. Despite such restrictive rules, we believed it was still possible to make a stylish game that was still minimal in nature. The rules of the game are seemingly complex at first, having the ability to attack and defend with two zones and one button, but that complexity in the game mechanic definitely adds a uniqueness to the game, especially for a minimalistic game. Using just basic text and some small animations, we were able to add some good game feel which definitely enhances the minimalist experience. There are some sound effects so as to not make the game feel empty as well.

Hope you enjoy our game!

LORE

After the events of Balls, RB has wandered far and wide. Eventually, he finds a blade in the dimension known as Avión Estéril. Using this blade, RB can become the hero of all dimensions. But first, he must train in Avión Estéril and become a swordmaster. His inherent shape, that of a ball, has given him a deep intuition of the circular ranges of a sword. When RB puts his mind to it, nobody can get in his way, especially not the lowly demons of this dimension...

PRESENTATION on game design