It's been a busy first few weeks of development but we're pretty happy with how things are progressing, and it very much feels like the framework is taking shape.

This initial phase of development has focused on three main areas, which are summarised below-

• Definition and Refinement of core game loop
• Art Design & Asset Creation
• Movement & Crop Planting Mechanics

Definition and Refinement of core game loop

• At the start of the game, players will plant vegetables in defined 'zones', which after a period of time will 'grow' to a point where they can be harvested. 
• Each type of vegetable costs a different amount to plant, offers a different payout once harvested, and grows at a different rate- meaning players must make a strategic choice around which crops they plant at which time.
• Once vegetables are planted, enemies will spawn in waves, with each wave increasing the number, tenacity and variety of enemies.
• Enemies will attempt to 'eat' the players crops, which the player must defend using a variety of weaponry.
• Harvesting vegetables will earn players coins which can be spent to 'buy' more vegetables to plant in between waves, and so increase the amount of points players are then able to earn in subsequent waves. However- there are only a limited number of planting zones, so players must choose where they plant crops wisely- more crops means potentially higher rewards, but also creates a larger area to defend.
• Points can also be spent on defensive resources and weapons, which players will be able to use or strategically place to defend their crops from enemies.
• If all the players crops are eaten by enemies, the wave ends and the player can either bank their score and end the game, or spend coins to replace their lost crops and attempt to survive longer and build a higher score.

Art Design & Asset Creation

We'll admit, this is perhaps a little bit of a backwards way of doing things- where prototyping and mechanic design should probably come first and asset design later, we've always found it really helps to start to get a feel for how the game will look early on- not least because it can really help to bring the game to life and help sustain a sense of direction and motivation!

In some cases, these assets will likewise play a part mechanically too- with things like scaling, collision boxes and level design all having an impact on visual design and vice-versa.

Below is a first view of how the farm is starting to look, showcasing the overall aesthetic, tileset, some environmental features, and an early player design.

And here are some designs for the various crop types that you'll be able to plant and harvest

It's this kind of stuff that gets us excited- as this is where things begin to feel a bit more tangible, and you can start to imagine what the project might eventually become.

Movement & Crop Planting Mechanics

Movement is (naturally) a fairly key mechanic to build out right off the bat, and we're opting for a classic 8 directional movement style, heavily inspired by the classic top down RPG style games from handheld consoles of years gone by.

While this does somewhat restrict the freedom of movement to a degree, we don't feel it negatively impacts the experience here, and meshes very nicely with the art style.

For Crop Planting, the player is currently able to highlight a square area in defined planting zones, and when clicking in that area, creates a crop of the selected vegetable which will then grow through a couple of stages to a point of being fully 'grown'.

The video below demonstrates how both of these initial mechanics currently work, as well as showcasing some of the current assets and art design

And that wraps up the current summary!

Key elements to focus on for the next stage will be:

• Completion of crop planting/harvesting mechanic
• Addition of weapons
• Development of enemy types

Thanks as ever for dropping by- be sure to follow us for more updates and future releases!

Team Pixel