Piece by Piece

Game Overview

Piece by Piece is a platformer-puzzle game where each level is made up of puzzle pieces that the player must assemble to create a path to the goal.
The game first won Wonderjam Fall 2024 before continuing development as a commercial project.

Project Context

The project began during the Wonderjam Game Jam at UQAC in Fall 2024. Development then continued in our spare time, eventually leading to a complete version prepared for release on Steam.

Tools

This game was developed using Godot 4.

My Role

I worked as a UI Developer and Designer on the project. My responsibilities included interface implementation, level design, and the creation of new gameplay mechanics.

UI and Menu Systems

Implemented a modular UI system in Godot supporting mouse, keyboard, and controller navigation. The system handles focus management, transitions, and interactions consistently across all input devices.

The menus were designed to be easily extensible and maintainable. The system is reusable for future projects.

Audio / Music Subsystem

Developed a global audio subsystem in Godot responsible for managing music and sound effects, including support for crossfades, persistence, and dynamic audio modifications.

A custom tool was created to browse project audio files and register them into a key/value structure, providing a clean interface for triggering sounds in code without relying on explicit file paths.

Gameplay Mechanics Design

Designed mechanics to increase gameplay complexity, including:

• Rotatable puzzle pieces
• Flippable puzzle pieces
• Portals
• A special piece that duplicates another piece
• A special piece that attaches to another piece
• Traversable dirt tiles where the player cannot stop

Level Design

Level design was a significant challenge, as levels needed to appear difficult at first glance while remaining accessible after experimentation and reflection.

It was also essential to progressively introduce new mechanics and ensure players understood them before encountering more advanced challenges.