Beta Complete

After weeks of iteration, bug-hunting, testing, trimming, and polishing — the game portion of my thesis project is now officially complete. The level is built, the experience is playable start to finish, and it’s ready to support the research and testing phase that follows.

This project evolved dramatically from where it started. Early versions of the level were bloated with abilities and mechanics I didn’t have time to fully implement or test properly. Over time I pulled back to focus on the core ideas: platforming, puzzle progression, and the impact of tutorial types on player behaviour.

The final level includes three puzzle zones:

• A spore collection mechanic that teaches and tests retention.
• A mycelial network puzzle based on visual and logical deduction.
• A vertical traversal challenge that rewards exploration and curiosity — especially for players paying attention.

Some late-stage bugs tried to trip me up, but with a few swaps — like replacing the respawn system with a teleport back to the start — they were resolved. We also ironed out animation issues, interaction softlocks, and cleaned up UI.

Technical Wins:

• A working dissolve effect to end the game
• An in-world cinematic camera system to guide the player
• A low-poly, stylized CRT-inspired aesthetic consistent across game
• A rebuilt spore tracking and collection system that integrates directly into the player HUD

Development Challenges & Lessons Learned:

While the final build is complete, I definitely felt the effects of working without automated testing. Some of the late-stage bugs — like the respawn movement issue, spore UI not updating properly, or unexpected interaction lockups — could likely have been prevented or flagged much earlier if I’d implemented a validation layer or logging system.

Still, these moments turned into useful insight, and I’m noting them as key points for future projects.

Thoughts Going Into Testing:

Now that the game is content-locked, I’m shifting into observation mode. I’ll be watching how players:

• Choose the order they collect spores (does design influence it? does hinting change that?).
• Respond to delays in platform timing — do they wait or explore?
• React differently depending on the tutorial method they were given.

These are the foundation of the research question I’m trying to answer. I’m excited (and a little nervous) to see how the game holds up when it’s out of my hands.

But I’m calling the game side done.