MAX_WIENS
PROJECT_LOG
↩ RETURN TO HUB⚡ FEATURED_LOG // 1-Week Interview Assessment
DeICEcalate was built under the most focused conditions I've worked in: a one-week deadline as part of a job interview assessment. The brief was open enough that I had to make strong design decisions fast — so I went with a concept I could execute cleanly and still make feel good to play: a cannon-based projectile shooter set in a volcanic lava world where the goal is to knock down increasingly complex block structures across five escalating levels.
The core loop is simple on its surface — aim, fire, destroy — but what I focused on was making it feel satisfying. I spent real time on the projectile physics to get the arc and impact response right, and on level design to make each stage feel like a genuinely different puzzle. The block structures start as basic stacked configurations and progressively introduce new shapes, offsets, and obstacle geometry — a tall cylinder blocker in Level 5, spread formations in Level 3, staggered heights throughout — so the player is always having to think about the shot, not just repeat it.
I handled the full project solo within the week: concept, level layout, physics tuning, projectile systems, UI, main menu, level select, and playtesting to refine the pacing. The result landed me the interview and demonstrated that I can scope, build, and ship a complete, polished prototype under real pressure.
Core Systems Built:
- Projectile Physics System: Cannon-fired projectile with tuned arc trajectory, velocity, and block impact response — built to feel punchy and satisfying on contact.
- 5-Level Progression: Escalating block structure layouts designed from the ground up — each level introduces a new challenge variable (height, spread, obstruction geometry) to keep the shot calculation fresh.
- Level Design & Pacing: All five levels laid out, playtested, and refined within the assessment window to ensure a consistent difficulty curve and satisfying moment-to-moment feel.
- UI & Navigation: Full main menu with Play, Levels, and Quit — plus a level select system allowing players to jump to any unlocked stage directly.
- Environment: Volcanic lava world setting with low-poly mountain terrain, glowing lava platforms, and lava-textured destructible blocks built to match the theme end-to-end.
