Project - Nutscue

Nutscue: Climb, Collect, Capture! 🌰

Nutscue is a cute platformer that challenges you to guide a mother squirrel up a giant tree in search of nuts and to safely rescue her newborn. Face predators, evade obstacles, and collect as many nuts as you can on your way up. Your score depends on how well you navigate the challenges and collect nuts along the way.

Core Features

• Vertical Platforming Adventure: Scale a massive tree while collecting nuts, avoiding hazards, and confronting enemies.
• Dynamic Power-Ups: Bomb Nut clears obstacles, Heart Nut restores health, and Slow Nut slows down time for precision moves.
• Checkpoints: Strategically placed respawn points ensure you can keep progressing without frustration.
• Creative Level Design: Handcrafted segments with breakable platforms, jumping mushrooms, and hidden secrets keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.

About the Game

Set in a magical forest, Nutscue tells the story of a mother squirrel protecting her family from predators. From the lower branches to the treetop, you’ll navigate increasingly challenging terrain, face unique enemies, and collect power-ups to secure your survival. The game's dynamic level progression ensures an engaging and action-packed experience.

The game was made with several requirements:

• Must be made for 8 to 10 year olds
• Made over the course of 2 weeks
• Can only use two buttons for gameplay
• Must be forest themed
• Must be designed with accessibility in mind

My Role as Designer

I took on multiple roles in this project: project owner, producer, and designer. I wouldn’t call myself the lead designer, but I made many of the key design decisions. My contributions included:

• Programming: Implemented two enemies (the bug and the bird) and mechanics for the snake.
• Visual Effects: Created all post-processing and visual effects, improving lighting, color, and atmosphere.
• Sound Design: Helped select and integrate music and sound effects to fit the tone of the game.
• Level Design: Designed Level 3, which included enemy placement, challenges, and flow.
• Documentation: Wrote the team contract and design document.
• Project Management: Scheduled and led meetings, set up and supported Perforce, and managed communication across the team.

Design Approach

• Stayed true to the forest theme and kid-friendly brief, focusing on accessibility and clarity of play.
• Balanced challenge with fun: simple two-button controls but layered hazards and power-ups to keep gameplay engaging.
• Prioritized collaboration: structured meetings, kept documentation clear, and ensured progress stayed on track.

Reflection

This project was a leadership test for me. I usually avoid hierarchical roles, but here I had to step up as project owner. I focused on fairness and equality, giving people autonomy while keeping us aligned. What I learned was that many teammates wanted clearer direction than I expected, and being a good leader meant supporting them without ego. It gave me confidence that I can lead a team while staying true to my values.

I was proud of how the team came together, though it was frustrating when some didn’t contribute as much. In the end, the experience reinforced my belief that making games is about collaboration and respect. For me, the project was less about discovering new design skills and more about proving to myself that I could handle leadership in a way that fits who I am.

Documentation & Resources

• Nutscue - Game design document

Credits

• Music and Sound Effects: Sources include Freesound.org and other free-to-use resources.
• Assets: A mix of hand-designed visuals and free resources customized to bring the magical forest to life.
  
  Christmas Trees Pattern by Gamze Genc Celik from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)

Play Nutscue now and see how high you can climb! 🌰