The document summarizes the process Alfie Pimblett took to create their 8-bit style retro video game. They began by designing pixelated characters and enemies. Then, they created the menu screen with a globe and start button. A simple loading screen followed. Next, they designed the first maze level map with controls. A level complete screen was then made. Finally, they animated level 1, added sound effects, and edited the clips together to complete the video game.

1. Production Reflection
Alfie Pimblett

2. Process
• The first step I took to create my video game was creating my characters and
enemies, I chose to design my characters in a simple yet traditional pixilated 8bit
game style because I want the players of my video game to feel a nostalgic sense
that they are playing an actual game from the 1980’s when 8bit video games were
at their most popular. My main character represents a alien looking insect, this
avatar has its body coloured yellow with green legs on both sides of the insects
body. The enemy avatars all have the same shaped body as they are members of
the same species, they all share different colours in each body part, the main body
is one colour then the eyes are one colour. The enemy species represents an alien
dwarf who hunt insects to feed on, such as the main character who is an alien
insect.

3. Process
• The second step I took to create my video game was to create my game menu screen, I
first covered my screen black and added white dots around the image to make it look
like the screen was covered in stars, I then created a globe of an alien planet where my
game is based on, I coloured the water areas purple and the land light green, this was
because I did not want to make it look like earth, the globe had to be presented like a
planet we have never seen before to convince players that it was not a human based
world, I then added my game logo (the cursed maze) in the centre of the globe and also
a start button option (press start) at the bottom centre of my screen.
• The third step I took to create my video game was my loading screen, this was a fairly
simple loading screen with a moving background of the stars and a white pixilated font
saying (loading..) in the bottom right corner of my screen. I chose to do a loading screen
because they do not need to be overly produced and it makes the players wait a short
while before they can play the game like a normal video game would do.

4. Process
• The fourth step I took to create my video game was creating my main map where my
maze will be placed on, this Is for the first level of my game. To create my maze I shaped
a square in the centre of the screen, I then filled it blue with a pink and purple border
with a maze outline, I was inspired by the neon styled maze in Pac Man, I decided to
replicate this style but with different colours. After I finished my maze design I then
added a few extra props such as a control panel and a mini map version of the maze
with the game logo above it. In the control panel It shows which direction the character
is moving, each time the character shifts direction it changes, I did this because I
wanted to add more of a creative element to my game and to not let it seem so bland.
On the side of my mini maze I created a timer which also works as a health bar, the
timer slowly goes down as you get to a certain point, I created the timer/health bar
because I feel it makes the game feel more of a challenge and counts as a main
objective to get to the finishing checkpoint before the timer goes all the way down
which will result in a level failure.

5. Process
• The fifth step I took to create my video game was creating my level complete screen, this
screen appears straight after my character reaches the finishing line. In this clip I used the
background of the stars that I included in my start menu screen. I also included my game logo
“the cursed maze” at the top right corner of my screen with text “level complete”
underneath it. I also added the text “press start” at the bottom of my screen because then
the players will know it is time for the next level of the game. All my text on this screen is red,
I made the text red because my main logo is red and I thought it would look weird if it didn't’t
match up with the same colours.
• The sixth step I took to create my game was to animate level 1. I started animating my game
as soon as I had finished all of my other clips that go before and after my first level, I had to
animate my main character on which direction my character is going, I need to animate my
enemies that move to stop my character completing the game, I needed to animate my
health bar which gradually goes down and I also needed to animate my control panel in the
left bottom corner which has a yellow beam in each direction that my character moves, I had
to make this exactly the same as when my character changes direction.

6. Process
• For the final step of creating my video game I had to export my files and edit all of the
exported clips together in Premier Pro, this was really simple for me to do as I am more
familiar with the Premier pro software than I am with Photoshop, when I merged all of
the clips together it was time to create sound effects, I did this using a free software
called bleep box, on this website you are able to create sound effects that sound like
things you will hear on old retro games, this was perfect for my game as I wanted to
make it sound and look like one of those old retro games. After I had created my music
and sound effects I then put them all in position with my clips, I had a theme song for
my game which went with my menu screen at the very beginning, I also had a much
quieter song for my loading screen, for the main clip which is with my maze and my
animated characters I had the theme song I used at the beginning of my menu screen
but with some slight improved alterations, for the ending which is the level complete
scene I added the main theme tune again. When I completed all of my editing with the
sound effects in place I then created transitions between my shots to heighten the
creativity and make it look more like an actual game rather than an animated video.