Bubble Popper - Game Jam
Role: Game Design, Level Design, Narrative Design, Sound Design, Blueprint Development
Grab your bubble blaster and get to work, these pesky critters won’t pop themselves! Rack up points as you clear each level in a bright, cheerful world. But watch your intake of “Ducks”, they’re the only thing keeping your illusions from spiralling out of control.
INTRODUCTION
“Grab your bubble blaster and get to work!” That was the playful premise we started with, but beneath the colourful exterior lies a darker truth. In this fast-paced first-person shooter, you play as a soldier on a classified “clean-up” mission. Nobody tells you what’s really going on, all that matters is clearing each level of the squid-like creatures that occupy them. The cartoony visuals and cheerful tone are deliberately deceptive, echoing the game’s major themes of illusion and denial. You’ll pass through vividly themed spaces, popping everything in sight, while the "friend" in your ear urges you onward. Yet as you rack up points, subtle hints start to suggest that something is not quite right.
ALTARNATE REALITIES
Two radically different realities coexist in this world: the happy, bubbly daydream and a grim, flickering nightmare. With each pull of the trigger, you’ll see cute creatures vanish in bursting bubbles, or disturbing silhouettes resting in pools of blood. The rooms of childlike furniture and pastel colours, morph into harsh corridors, stained in the evidence of a far more sinister reality.
At the heart of this duality is the “Duck” system. Consuming these items keeps you blissfully unaware of the truth behind your mission; skip them too often, and your carefully maintained illusions will crack. As your “sanity” meter drops, the game’s visuals and audio grow increasingly jarring, forcing you to confront the seriousness of your actions.
SANITY
Even your elevator ride between levels offers a window into these shifting worlds: the reflection in the elevator mirror could show you as a cheery, unsuspecting operative… or a man brought to dispair by his actions.
Will you keep popping those bubbles and accept the convenient lie, or let your perception slip to reveal the uncomfortable reality? This choice shapes your journey, culminating in multiple possible endings based on how much you cling to your illusions or embrace the truth.
THE TEAM
We were a team of six developers who dedicated 48 hours to bring this project to life. Our group included two 3D artists, one 2D artist, one programmer, and two game designers. I focused on overarching game design, narrative system design, level design, and also assisted the technical side in creating actors and gameplay elements with Blueprints and ensuring quality game feel.
A huge thank you to Geoffroy Bordenave, Karris Webb, Etienne Magous, Jasmine Nicol, and Anavi Curtiss for making this project such a pleasure to create!
AWARD
I’m am now delighted to announce that my team and I recieved first prize from the jury at ArtFx with our game “Bubble Popper”! Despite a time frame of only 48 hours and a team troubled by illness, we all managed to push through to achieve our vision. An intense and rewarding experience, and I couldn’t be prouder of our efforts.
