Shield Breaker - Yule
Role:
Gameplay Designer
Year:
2025
Overview
A Yule-inspired target shooting game where players test their accuracy by striking festive targets. Set during a winter celebration, the game challenges players to quickly identify and hit targets. The experience combines fast reflex gameplay with a playful holiday theme inspired by Norse traditions.
During development, animations were initially implemented using individual GIF files. This caused visual glitches during gameplay and created inconsistencies in animation playback. The format also made it difficult to efficiently manage and update animation assets during development.
To resolve the issue, the team transitioned from GIF animations to sprite sheets. Animations were reorganized into sprite sheet sequences, allowing the engine to play frames more reliably and improving control over animation timing. This also streamlined how animation assets were imported and managed within the project.
Switching to sprite sheets eliminated the animation glitches and significantly improved the reliability of animation playback. The new approach also created a more efficient workflow for updating and managing animations, allowing the team to iterate more quickly on visual assets moving forward.
‣ Choosing the right asset format matters for performance and stability. While GIFs were quick to implement early on, switching to sprite sheets provided better control over frame playback and improved reliability during gameplay.
‣ Optimized asset pipelines improve development efficiency. Organizing animations into sprite sheets created a more scalable workflow, making it easier to update and manage animation assets as the project evolved.
‣ Iteration is an important part of solving technical issues. Identifying the source of the animation glitches and testing alternative approaches helped improve both the final result and the overall production process.
‣ Collaboration and testing are essential for refining gameplay presentation. Through playtesting and team feedback, we were able to identify issues affecting visual clarity and implement solutions that improved the player experience.
