So we had this course in uni where we needed to design a specific mechanic and build a small game around that. We, that’s my friends Robin, Steffen and I, wanted to make a game, where the only means of movement is by using a grappling-hook. Basically a physics based 2D-Platforming game. And it turned out great!

Meet: HOOKSHOT! HOOKSHOT Main Menu

But there were some iterations to be made, like a LOT of iterations. First, we wanted to create 3 distinct pairs of hooks which complemented each other in their specific use cases. We started out with a “Flick”-Hook, which, technically speaking, is not a real hook, but just momentum in a specific direction. Think about a small dash mid-air. With that we wanted to build a Worms Armageddon-esque hook, which would complement the Fling hook by utilizing the mid-air momentum to enable crazy fast and precise swings. That didn’t work out quite as good as we wanted to😅. Since we were under a lot of pressure from other courses, we made a new set of hooks and scrapped the idea of multiple hook pairs until the next semester, when we would have more time for stuff like that.

We settled on two hooks: the Attractor and the Repulsor. Basically the do what’s on the tin. They kind of work like magnets and pull/push the player from/to the point where the hook connected. It’s crazy fun to play around with those in a Jungle-Gym like environment, but after finishing those hooks we realized our concerning lack of an actual, playable level which was not a testing-scene for us to play around in. With that in mind we started working on an actual level with puzzle elements, a checkpoint system, moving platforms and so. The “final” product (which is a tech demo at best) was quite fun to play and gave us determination to expand upon the project next semester.

We also added some other stuff like adaptive music using FMOD, a MAIN MENU, options menu and a loading screen.

If you want to try the demo you can download it here

I’m really pumped for the next semester and the prospect of really polishing the project to a point where it might be release-ready!

HOOKSHOT Gameplay

Thanks for reading! 🧊