Digital escape

Context

As of starting 2020 I did a business software consultancy project, but I wanted to get more into the freelance gaming business. So as a freelance game developer I found my first project: a working together with MindstateStudio’s on a digital escaperoom project for Escaperoom071.

Product

The idea was to digitize an existing escaperoom as a part of a bigger project to get more digital content into an otherwise physical business. It was also an opportunity to get a side income during the COVID-19 outbrake.

The game featured:

  • 1 escaperoom at start.
  • Current gen graphics on mobile, web and PC.
  • Up to 6 players per team cross platform, multiple teams at the same time.
  • Live gamemasters, a cozy lobby, highscores.
  • A back-office system with (re)sellable keys, whitelabeling.

We had 2 months to make this work. Aside from me there were 2 other developers on the team: 1 general game designer and 1 designer with art and sound background.

My part

My attribution to the project:

  • Technical advice/choices
  • Multiplayer with Photon PUN
  • Scripting: Dynamic reusable puzzle system
  • Code quality
  • CI/CD (Azure DevOps) automatic builds and deployments, manage our collaboration tooling

However as time progressed things went southwards fast. As it turned out MindstateStudi’s and I were being played by a narcissist on the team. During the project we didn’t understand what caused these issues but this disorder combined with a tight deadline brought the project to a halt.

I learned a lot from this adventure. As a person but also as a company.

Related stuff

Random order, tooling used

  • Unity
  • Photon PUN, Photon Realtime
  • Azure DevOps projects, Azure DevOps Unity builds
  • .Net Core 3 WebApp
  • Azure WebApp
  • Inno Setup 6 installer
  • GIT sourcecontrol

Critique

I few words from my own:

  • A good idea, executed reasonable well, but within a too tight time frame and undermined by a personality disorder.
  • From the beginning we were not clear to each other how to hold each other accountable for the deliverables we agreed on.

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