GAME 1303 Game Pitch Analysis

Companion documents

01.GAME 1303 — Pitch Analysis — the original 17 pitches and what they have in common
02.GAME 1303 — Scripts by Game_v2 — which of the 115 scripts each student needs
03.GAME 1303 — Scripts Source — Text listings of .cs scripts
04.GAME 1303 — Instructor Handbook — This Guide
05.GAME 1303 — Deployment Guide — How to start in Unity and deploy the scripts
06.GAME 1303 — Mecanim Wiring Guide — Mecanim rigs, parameters, state machines

Source: "Game Pitch Discussion" board (posts Aug 25 – Sep 1, 2026). Instructor whiteboard photo from Sep 1 used to confirm the class-agreed categories (2D / Puzzle / Narrative / 3D) and the Unity component vocabulary (GameObjects → Transform; Components: Rigidbody2D, Player Input, Script, Animator; Mechanim animator with idle/walk/run states).

Part 1 — Games by student

#	Student	Game	Type (whiteboard column)	Perspective	One-line summary
1	Lazaro Garcia	Apep's Trial	3D/2D hybrid	First-person 3D switching to 2D side-scroll or top-down	Magic construct replaces Ra on his nightly barque journey to stop Apep. Dash/air-dash, double jump, glide, sprint. Core mechanic is the camera switching between 3D and 2D. Refs: Fez, Shady Part of Me, Risk of Rain 2.
2	Amarion Wilson	The Magnet	2D	Side-scroller	Single-player Sonic-style side-scroller. Hero has magnet gloves that pull metal items toward him; fights masked criminals up to a boss named "Blaster." Student self-describes as new and wants it simple. Has pixel-art sprites already (Magnet, Blaster, Masked Criminal).
3	Zachary Thompson	Missile Man!	2D	Side-scroller	Side-scrolling beat 'em up / action-comedy. Hero refuses melee; builds momentum by running, then launches himself at enemies.
4	Rhys Watson	Cozy Critters	2D	Single screen / small area	Tamagotchi-style pet sim with no death anxiety. Pet idles and walks; player performs care actions that raise happiness and change the pet's nature. One area; species and customization undecided.
5	Sylvia Lee	Commission Witch	2D	Side-scroller	Simple Mario / Hollow Knight platformer, gothic-Halloween theme. Witch gathers plant ingredients while avoiding ghosts; different endings based on what and how much you collect. Instructor notes: order received → gather ingredients → mix & recipe check; question of "bad ingredients"; ghosts move around but you don't touch them.
6	Tony Williams	Zap Attack!!	2D (2.5D look)	Side-scroller	Fast trial-and-error precision platformer (Super Meat Boy, Pizza Tower). Blobby the Electro Slime dashes through enemies, rides power lines, unlocks homing attack / slam / machine operation. Unlimited lives. 4 sectors × 10 levels, hub towns, bosses on level 5 and 10, 5th level locked behind collected "green electricity." Online time-attack. Most ambitious scope in the class.
7	Sanad Ammari	Store Simulator (name from whiteboard; post is images only)	3D	First-person	Shop/management sim. Refs: Supermarket Simulator, Gas Station Simulator, Escape Simulator, Cash Cleaner Simulator. Stock shelves, serve customers, earn money.
8	Kathryn Groover	A Spark of Corruption	2D	Side-scroller	Action-adventure platformer (Nameless Cat, Hollow Knight, Celeste). Four party members with roles: Fire Aprice (attack), a Servant (support: flying/moving objects), an Archer (support: stealth/distraction), a Sorcerer (attack/support: elemental). Shadow-blob enemies. Four worlds with palettes: Fiery Kingdom, Forest, Ruins, Starry Wastelands. Strong art already done.
9	Nicholas Murley	Conquer the Cutthroat Course	2D	Side-scroller	Single trap-filled obstacle course that ramps in difficulty. No timer, 3 lives. Traps: saw blade, fire, acid pit, spikes, crushers, electricity zones (jump too high and you're shocked). Funny SFX on final death.
10	Julian Vargas	Hot Air (untitled; whiteboard says "Hot Air")	2D	Side-scroller	Physics platformer: runaway hot air balloon with limited fuel and a grappling hook. Wind pushes you through the level; manage fuel, grapple to avoid obstacles, reach checkpoints.
11	Joshua Freeman	Roach Invasion	2D	Side-scroller	Collectathon platformer. Swap between 4 insects (different HP: 5/3/2/3, and abilities — one flies) to suit each hazard and enemy. Collect all plant-based items; evade mutated roaches. Sketched level has ladders, spikes, gaps.
12	Fozaan Sheikh	MythoClash	Narrative (whiteboard) — realistically 2D arena combat	Side-view	Hero fights mythological monsters across multiple pantheons. Fight or skip (max 3 skips; skipping raises chance of tougher foe). Earn Drachma (XP) to unlock levels. 3 levels per world, ~12 opponents per world. Detailed asset plan already (38 visual, 6 audio, 4 background/NPC). Pixel art done: hero, hydra, Ammit-style croc, wolf, serpent.
13	Andraya Rhoads	Anabasis	Narrative	2D exploration	Ghost between life and death regains memories. Explore, make decisions, solve puzzles, multiple endings. Monochrome/ink mood board. Class idea (Jax): dialogue choices change the world's imagery.
14	Marcelo Diaz	Stardust (placeholder)	2D	Side-scroller	Action platformer (Mega Man ZX ref). Dash, jump, attack; combo counter — consecutive hits raise damage.
15	Chris Acosta	Last Delivery	Puzzle	Top-down 2D	Food-delivery robot goes from A to B across a wasteland; monsters try to intercept and steal the food. Ref: Crossy Road.
16	Mena Rofail	Detective Liz: Haunted Case	Narrative	2D	Detective uses a flashlight to fight ghosts while investigating a five-story abandoned building. Class ideas (Jax): flashlight battery, a recharge that requires standing still (vulnerable), and harm from staying in the dark too long. Has a PPTX pitch attached.
17	Jax Keenan	Weenie(dog) Maze	Puzzle	Top-down 2D	Snake-with-a-twist: a dachshund navigates a maze eating treats and growing without running into itself.
—	J Marshall Pittman (instructor demo)	Cephalopods in Space!	—	2D cockpit	Octopus pilots a custom spaceship; attend to controls and watch the display to survive perils. Multitasking/attention game.

Count: 17 student pitches. 12 are 2D side-scrollers of some kind, 2 top-down puzzle, 2 narrative-first, 1 pet sim, 1 3D sim, 1 3D/2D hybrid.

Part 2 — Games by type

A. 2D side-scrolling platformer (the big cluster — 9 games)

Commission Witch (Sylvia), Zap Attack!! (Tony), A Spark of Corruption (Kathryn), Conquer the Cutthroat Course (Nicholas), Hot Air (Julian), Roach Invasion (Joshua), Stardust (Marcelo), The Magnet (Amarion), Apep's Trial 2D sections (Lazaro).

Sub-flavors:

Precision / hazard platformer — Zap Attack, Cutthroat Course, Hot Air (physics variant)
Collectathon / gather-and-return — Commission Witch, Roach Invasion
Action platformer with combat — Spark of Corruption, Stardust, The Magnet
Character-swap — Roach Invasion (4 insects), Spark of Corruption (4 party members)

B. 2D side-scrolling combat (non-platformer or platformer-light — 2 games)

Missile Man (beat 'em up), MythoClash (one-on-one monster fights).

C. Top-down 2D puzzle (2 games)

Last Delivery (Chris), Weenie(dog) Maze (Jax) — both grid/lane-based movement with an A-to-B goal and things that get in the way.

D. 2D narrative / exploration (2 games)

Anabasis (Andraya), Detective Liz (Mena). Both need dialogue, branching choices, interactable objects, and a light/dark or mood system.

E. Simulation (2 games)

Cozy Critters (2D pet sim — needs stat/timer loop, not platforming), Store Simulator (3D first-person — the outlier).

F. Hybrid

Apep's Trial — first-person 3D + 2D; realistically will use the 2D platformer kit plus a camera-mode switcher.

Part 3 — Script inventory

Naming follows Unity C# conventions. "Used by" lists which games would drop each script in more or less unchanged.

Tier 1 — Core kit almost everyone uses (write these first)

Script	What it does	Used by
`PlayerController2D`	Rigidbody2D + new Input System; horizontal move, jump, coyote time, jump buffer, variable jump height, ground check via overlap box, flips sprite. Exposed `moveSpeed`, `jumpForce`.	All 9 platformers, Missile Man, MythoClash, Apep's Trial (2D mode)
`PlayerAnimatorBridge`	Feeds `speed`, `isGrounded`, `yVelocity`, triggers (`jump`, `attack`, `hurt`) into the Mechanim controller with idle/walk/run/jump/fall states from the whiteboard.	Every game with a character sprite (15 of 17)
`Health`	`maxHealth`, `currentHealth`, `TakeDamage()`, `Heal()`, invulnerability frames, `OnDied` / `OnHealthChanged` UnityEvents. Works for player, enemies, bosses.	13 games
`DamageOnContact`	Hazard/enemy trigger that calls `Health.TakeDamage` with a damage value and optional knockback. Tag/layer filter.	All platformers, Cutthroat Course, Last Delivery, Missile Man
`Checkpoint` + `RespawnManager`	Trigger sets last checkpoint; on death, teleport player, reset velocity, restore health. Optional lives counter.	Zap Attack, Cutthroat Course (3 lives), Hot Air, Roach Invasion, Spark of Corruption, Stardust, Magnet
`Collectible` + `CollectionTracker`	Trigger pickup, plays SFX, increments a typed count (ScriptableObject `ItemType`), fires UI update. Supports "collect N to unlock."	Commission Witch, Roach Invasion, Zap Attack (green electricity), Weenie Maze (treats), Cozy Critters (food), Store Sim (stock)
`CameraFollow2D` (or a Cinemachine 2D preset)	Smooth follow with dead zone, level bounds via Polygon Collider confiner.	Every side-scroller and top-down game
`LevelManager` / `SceneLoader`	Load next level, reload on death, return to hub, fade transition.	All
`GameManager` (singleton)	Pause, score/lives, persistent state between scenes.	All
`AudioManager`	Play SFX / music by name; one-shot pool.	All (Cutthroat Course's funny death sound, MythoClash's 6 audio assets)
`HUDController`	Health bar, lives, collectible counter, timer text. Subscribes to `Health` and `CollectionTracker` events.	All
`MovingPlatform`	Waypoint mover; parents player on contact.	Most platformers
`ParallaxBackground`	Layered background scroll relative to camera.	All side-scrollers

Tier 2 — Enemy & combat kit

Script	What it does	Used by
`EnemyPatrol`	Walks between two points or until an edge/wall check fails; flips.	Commission Witch ghosts, Magnet criminals, Roach Invasion roaches, Spark of Corruption shadows, Stardust, Zap Attack
`EnemyChase`	Detects player in radius/line-of-sight, moves toward, returns to patrol.	Last Delivery monsters, Detective Liz ghosts, Roach Invasion, Missile Man thugs
`FloatingEnemy`	Sine-wave hover / free 2D movement ignoring gravity.	Commission Witch & Detective Liz ghosts, Roach Invasion flying roaches
`MeleeAttack`	Attack input → animation trigger → overlap circle at hit point → damage. Cooldown.	Stardust, Spark of Corruption, Magnet, MythoClash, Missile Man
`ProjectileShooter` + `Projectile`	Spawn prefab at fire point with speed and lifetime; hits call `DamageOnContact`.	Blaster boss (Magnet), MythoClash, Spark of Corruption (archer/sorcerer), Stardust
`ComboCounter`	Tracks consecutive hits within a window; exposes damage multiplier; resets on miss/hurt.	Stardust (core mechanic), useful for Missile Man & MythoClash
`Knockback`	Applies impulse away from source; brief control lock.	Most combat games
`BossController`	Phase-based state machine (idle → attack pattern A/B → vulnerable), health thresholds change phase.	Magnet (Blaster), Zap Attack (sector bosses), MythoClash, Spark of Corruption
`Hitbox` / `Hurtbox` pair	Standard separation so attacks and damage taken don't collide with each other.	All combat games

Tier 3 — Movement extensions (drop-in modules for `PlayerController2D`)

Script	Mechanic	Used by
`Dash`	Burst in facing/input direction, i-frames optional, cooldown, air-dash count.	Apep's Trial, Zap Attack, Stardust, Spark of Corruption
`DoubleJump`	Extra jump count reset on ground.	Apep's Trial, Spark of Corruption, Roach Invasion (some insects)
`Glide`	Hold jump while falling → clamped fall speed.	Apep's Trial, Roach Invasion (bee)
`Sprint`	Hold to multiply speed.	Apep's Trial, Missile Man
`MomentumLauncher`	Speed builds while running; at threshold, press to convert velocity into a body-slam attack; damage scales with speed.	Missile Man (core), Zap Attack (dash-through)
`WallSlideJump`	Wall detection, slide speed, wall jump.	Zap Attack, Stardust, Spark of Corruption
`Ladder`	Enter climb state on vertical input; disables gravity.	Roach Invasion, Detective Liz (five stories), Spark of Corruption
`GrapplingHook`	Raycast to anchor layer, DistanceJoint2D / SpringJoint2D swing, reel in/out.	Hot Air (core); reusable for Spark of Corruption servant
`FuelSystem` + `BalloonController`	Fuel depletes on thrust; buoyancy force up; `WindZone2D` applies constant AreaEffector2D force.	Hot Air
`MagnetPull`	On hold, find objects on "Metal" layer within radius and pull them toward player; can yank enemy weapons/shields.	The Magnet (core)
`RailRide`	Snap to a spline/edge collider and travel along it.	Zap Attack (power lines)
`CharacterSwapper`	Holds a list of character prefabs/stats; hot-swaps active controller, keeps position, updates HUD portrait.	Roach Invasion (4 insects), Spark of Corruption (4 party members)

Tier 4 — Hazards & level pieces (Cutthroat Course is the showcase; others borrow)

Script	Used by
`SpinningSaw` (rotate + `DamageOnContact`)	Cutthroat Course, Zap Attack
`SpikeTrap` (static or timed pop-up)	Cutthroat Course, Roach Invasion, Stardust
`Crusher` (piston on timer)	Cutthroat Course
`FireHazard` / `AcidPool` (kill zone, optional DoT)	Cutthroat Course, Roach Invasion
`ElectricZone` (ceiling shock if player `y` exceeds threshold; also fits Zap Attack's electric theme)	Cutthroat Course, Zap Attack
`Breakable` (health-driven destruction)	Magnet, Stardust, Spark of Corruption
`Door` / `Lock` (opens when `CollectionTracker` ≥ N or key held)	Zap Attack (generator door), Commission Witch, Detective Liz, Anabasis
`LevelSelect` + `LevelUnlockData` (ScriptableObject)	Zap Attack (sectors), MythoClash (Drachma gates)
`TimerHUD` + local best-time save	Zap Attack (time attack), Cutthroat Course optional

Tier 5 — Top-down / grid kit

Script	Used by
`TopDownMover` (8-dir Rigidbody2D, no gravity)	Last Delivery, Apep's Trial (top-down mode), Cozy Critters pet
`GridMover` (step on input, snap to tiles, wall check)	Weenie Maze, Last Delivery if lane-based
`SnakeBody` (list of segments follows head; self-collision = fail; grows on treat)	Weenie Maze (core)
`LaneSpawner` (spawns obstacles/monsters along lanes at intervals, Crossy-Road style)	Last Delivery
`MazeLoader` (reads a text/2D array into Tilemap)	Weenie Maze, Last Delivery
`DeliveryObjective` (carry item; lose it on hit; deliver at goal trigger)	Last Delivery

Tier 6 — Narrative kit

Script	Used by
`Interactable` + `InteractionPrompt` (press E when in range)	Anabasis, Detective Liz, Commission Witch (order board), Cozy Critters, Store Sim
`DialogueRunner` + `DialogueData` (ScriptableObject lines, speaker, portrait, choices) — or adopt Yarn Spinner / Ink	Anabasis, Detective Liz, MythoClash intro, Zap Attack hubs, Commission Witch endings
`ChoiceFlagManager` (string→bool/int flags persisted across scenes)	Anabasis (choices reshape world), Commission Witch (endings), Detective Liz
`EndingSelector` (evaluate flags/counts → load ending scene)	Commission Witch, Anabasis, Detective Liz
`WorldStateSwapper` (swap tilemaps/sprites based on flags — Jax's "imagery changes with choices")	Anabasis
`Flashlight2D` (URP 2D spot light follows aim; toggle; battery drain; `Recharge` requires standing still)	Detective Liz
`DarknessMeter` (accumulates while outside light; harms player past threshold)	Detective Liz
`LightSensitiveEnemy` (ghost takes damage/flees while inside light cone)	Detective Liz, Commission Witch variant
`PuzzleSwitch` / `PressurePlate` / `PushBlock`	Anabasis, Apep's Trial
`FloorTransition` (stairs/elevator between five stories)	Detective Liz

Tier 7 — Simulation kit

Script	Used by
`NeedStat` (hunger, happiness, energy — decay per second, clamp, events)	Cozy Critters
`PetBrain` (idle/wander/react state machine; mood from stats affects animation set)	Cozy Critters (uses the Mechanim idle/walk pattern)
`CareAction` (feed/play/clean buttons that modify `NeedStat`s)	Cozy Critters
`PersonalityTracker` (long-run averages shift "nature")	Cozy Critters
`SaveSystem` (JSON to persistentDataPath; time-since-last-play offline decay)	Cozy Critters, Zap Attack, MythoClash
`FirstPersonController` (CharacterController, mouse look)	Store Simulator
`PickupCarry` / `ShelfSlot` / `Register` / `CustomerAI` / `Economy`	Store Simulator only

Tier 8 — Specialty

Script	Used by
`CameraModeSwitcher` (lerps between 3D perspective rig and 2D ortho rig; swaps active controller & input map)	Apep's Trial (core)
`EncounterManager` (present monster, fight/skip choice, skip counter max 3, difficulty roll on skip)	MythoClash (core)
`ExperienceWallet` (Drachma; gates in `LevelSelect`)	MythoClash
`RecipeChecker` (compare collected `ItemType` counts against a recipe ScriptableObject; flag bad ingredients)	Commission Witch
`MultiTaskStation` (several timed gauges the player must keep in range)	Cephalopods in Space (instructor demo)

Part 4 — Common themes and shared assets

Mechanics that recur across the class

Gather-and-return loops: Commission Witch (ingredients → recipe), Roach Invasion (plants), Zap Attack (electricity → generator door), Weenie Maze (treats), Last Delivery (food). One Collectible/CollectionTracker/Door trio serves all five.
Character/mode switching: Roach Invasion, Spark of Corruption (party of 4 each), Apep's Trial (camera modes). A single CharacterSwapper pattern covers the first two; the third is the same idea applied to cameras.
Momentum and dash: Zap Attack, Missile Man, Stardust, Apep's Trial, Spark of Corruption. Build Dash once with speed/duration/cooldown fields; MomentumLauncher is a variant.
Light vs. dark: Detective Liz (flashlight), Anabasis (monochrome world), Commission Witch (gothic night). URP 2D lighting lesson pays off for three projects.
Ghosts as the enemy: Commission Witch, Detective Liz, Anabasis (player is one). A shared floating ghost prefab with FloatingEnemy + EnemyChase would help.
Multiple endings: Commission Witch, Anabasis, Detective Liz — all need ChoiceFlagManager + EndingSelector.
Electricity theme: Zap Attack, Cutthroat Course, and The Magnet (magnetism) — shared spark/arc VFX and SFX.
Lives with a twist: Cutthroat Course (3 lives, no timer), Zap Attack (unlimited), Roach Invasion (per-insect HP). Health + RespawnManager with a configurable lives count handles all.

Reference games the students keep naming (worth showing in class as design studies): Hollow Knight (×3), Celeste, Super Meat Boy, Mario, Sonic, Mega Man ZX, Crossy Road, Snake, Tamagotchi, Hades / God of War, Fez.

Shared art/audio assets that could be produced once

A generic 32×32 or 16×16 humanoid platformer sprite sheet (idle/walk/run/jump/fall/hurt/attack) matching the Mechanim state names from the whiteboard, so students with no art yet (Missile Man, Stardust, Cutthroat Course, Hot Air, Last Delivery, Weenie Maze) can prototype.
A tileset with ground/wall/platform/ladder/spike autotiles for the Tilemap system.
Hazard prefabs: saw, spikes, fire, acid, crusher, electric arc.
A floating ghost sprite (three games).
UI kit: health bar, hearts, counter, lives, timer, dialogue box with portrait slot.
SFX pack: jump, land, hit, collect, death, door unlock, UI click, plus one ridiculous death sound for Nicholas.
Parallax background sets in a few palettes (Kathryn's four world palettes are a good starting point).

Students who already have significant art: Amarion (3 sprites), Kathryn (characters, enemies, palettes, world thumbnails), Fozaan (hero + 4 monsters + banner), Andraya (mood board), Tony (Blobby). Students with nothing visual yet who would benefit most from placeholder assets: Zachary, Marcelo, Julian, Chris, Jax, Mena, Rhys, Sanad.

Part 5 — Suggested build order for the shared script library

PlayerController2D, PlayerAnimatorBridge, CameraFollow2D, ParallaxBackground — unblocks 12 projects immediately.
Health, DamageOnContact, Checkpoint/RespawnManager, HUDController — every game can then "die and retry."
Collectible/CollectionTracker/Door, EnemyPatrol/EnemyChase/FloatingEnemy — turns prototypes into loops.
Dash, MeleeAttack, Hitbox/Hurtbox, Knockback, BossController — the combat cluster.
TopDownMover/GridMover/SnakeBody — the two puzzle games.
Interactable, DialogueRunner, ChoiceFlagManager, Flashlight2D — the narrative cluster.
Per-game specialty scripts (GrapplingHook, MagnetPull, CharacterSwapper, CameraModeSwitcher, EncounterManager, NeedStat) as those students reach them.

Scope flags to discuss with students: Zap Attack (40+ levels, online leaderboards, 4 hubs) and Store Simulator (3D, AI customers, economy) are far larger than the rest; Apep's Trial's 3D/2D switch is doable but should be prototyped first before any content is built.