Cat & Dog Co-op Puzzle Game (2D Side-Scrolling Prototype)

1. Overview

A 2D co-op puzzle platformer where players control a kitten and a puppy with complementary abilities to solve environmental puzzles and recover their broken teamwork.
I served as the project lead and sole programmer, responsible for Unity implementation and cross-functional coordination with designers and artists.

2. STAR Breakdown

Situation

This was my first and only digital game project in graduate school, built in Unity with no prior C# or game development experience.
The team consisted of designers, UI contributors, and artists, but lacked shared game-engine experience, leading to unclear implementation constraints and evolving design expectations.

Task

My responsibility was to:

• Translate the Game Design Document (GDD) into a playable Unity prototype
• Build core gameplay systems (movement, interaction, physics-based puzzles)
• Coordinate design + art + UI contributors into a coherent playable experience
• Ensure the game remained fun, stable, and shippable within course timeline constraints

Action

• Defined and implemented core gameplay loop in Unity, including dual-character control, jump mechanics, and object interaction systems.
• Bridged design and engineering gaps by converting abstract GDD concepts (co-op puzzle mechanics, stealth zones, asymmetric abilities) into modular gameplay logic.
• Solved physics and interaction challenges, such as:
  • Implementing differentiated object-push behavior (dog can push boxes, cat cannot) using collision rules and state flags
  • Iteratively tuning Unity physics parameters (mass, friction, constraints) when default physics behavior did not produce consistent results
• Researched Unity gameplay implementation patterns via tutorials (YouTube) to quickly onboard into animation blending and character movement systems.
• Iteratively improved level design and onboarding based on internal playtests, adjusting puzzle difficulty and cooperation dependency to make collaboration feel necessary rather than optional.
• Coordinated feedback loops between design and implementation to reduce ambiguity and scope misalignment.

Result

• Delivered a fully playable 2D co-op puzzle prototype with working asymmetric character mechanics.
• Successfully demonstrated cooperative gameplay with differentiated roles (strength vs agility).
• Project received “Most Fun Game” recognition in class evaluation, reflecting strong engagement and gameplay experience.

3. Product Thinking Highlights

• Designed gameplay around a clear user emotional arc: conflict → forced cooperation → trust rebuilding
• Translated narrative concept into systemic mechanics (asymmetric abilities driving interdependence)
• Prioritized “fun-first” interaction loops over feature completeness under time constraints
• Balanced technical feasibility vs. design ambition by simplifying physics-based interactions where necessary
• Used playtest feedback to adjust difficulty curve and cooperation dependency

4. Challenges & How I Solved Them

• First-time Unity / C# development constraint

  • Had no prior Unity production experience, which slowed early iteration
  • Resolved by rapidly learning from tutorials and focusing on minimal viable gameplay systems first

• Unstable physics-based interactions (box pushing mechanics)

  • Box behavior differed inconsistently between characters due to friction and collision differences
  • Addressed by combining physics tuning (friction/mass adjustments) with explicit gameplay state logic (boolean-based interaction rules)

• Asymmetric character mechanics were unclear in implementation

  • Difficulty translating “cat vs dog ability differences” into deterministic game rules
  • Solved by formalizing ability boundaries in code (pushable vs non-pushable objects, movement constraints per character)

• Cross-team expectation misalignment (design vs implementation)

  • Designers iterated faster than implementation feasibility allowed, causing scope pressure
  • Managed by breaking features into incremental prototypes and aligning on what was technically stable each iteration

5. Impact Summary

• Delivered full end-to-end playable Unity prototype for a co-op puzzle game
• Implemented core asymmetric gameplay system enabling cooperative puzzle solving
• Improved gameplay clarity through iterative playtesting and level tuning
• Achieved “Most Fun Game” recognition in course evaluation

6. Reflection

This project taught me that game development (and product building in general) is less about implementing features and more about turning ambiguous creative ideas into constrained, testable systems. The biggest challenge was not technical implementation alone, but continuously reconciling design vision, physics limitations, and player understanding into a coherent experience. It reinforced my PM mindset of prioritizing clarity, iteration speed, and user experience over feature complexity.