Introduction to Game Concept- Gameplay

Hello, this blog is here to document the development process of our game, Luminex. Quantum Horizon Studios is a small team of five BSc Games Development students; We are new to game development and are hoping that this project will expand our understanding of the facets involved in game production.

Luminex is a sci-fi platformer shooter, taking inspiration from games such as Hollow Knight and Intrusion 2 respectively. The gameplay of Luminex involves running, jumping and shooting- there are also two key mechanics that separate Luminex from other similar titles on the market, which we will explain later in this post. It will use a side-scrolling perspective i.e. the user sees the character from the side and movement is left/right. 

Gameplay in Intrusion 2 (2012):

The enemies the player fights will be fungus infected crew members, and the automated defences of the prison. The design of the fungus enemies will be similar to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us.

Enemy design in The Last of Us (2013):


We have taken inspiration from Metroidvania style game design, meaning the player is encouraged to return to previous areas after they have unlocked certain abilities.

The USP of this game revolves around the partnership of two central mechanics; the gravity-shift ability and the dimension-swap ability. The dimension-swap ability can be used to travel between the 'normal' reality and an alternate reality engulfed in fungus; this alternate dimension will feature different enemies and paths they couldn't access otherwise, although staying in this alternate dimension for too long will cause the player to take damage. The gravity-shift ability is unlocked later in the game, and allows players to invert the direction of gravity, allowing them to walk on different surfaces. This can be used in both level navigation and in combat to gain an advantage over enemies.

Alternate reality mechanic in The Medium (2021): 

This mechanic functions a bit differently to the dimension-swap mechanic that will be in Luminex. In The Medium the player views the two realities at the same time using a splits-screen, while Luminex will allow the player to switch between either dimension at will.

Gravity invert mechanic in Jetpack Joyride (2011):





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