Shape Slasher
- Date:
- 2007
- Contributors:
- Mike Daly, Vince Scheib
- Download:
- /downloads/games/shapeslasher_090118.zip
Shape Slasher is a game where randomly generated irregular convex polygons float on screen and you have to ‘slash’ them down into shapes that are as close to equilateral triangles as you can get them. To slash, you click and drag with the mouse to determine the two endpoints of a line segment. When you release the mouse, any polygons that are under the segment get clipped into two polygons and slowly seperate. Each level has a time limit in which you must achieve a particular score to pass. As the stages go on, the shapes become more irregular, move faster, get smaller, increase in rotational velocity, and the required score increases. Just for good measure, there are a few bonus and challenge stages thrown in.
To be skilled at Shape Slasher, you must be able to quickly analyze many shapes in order to identify the ones that are best suited for making a good triangle, then have both precision, timing, and a good sense of trajectories to execute a slash. Higher level strategies include identifying trapezoid shapes that only take two slashes to turn into 3 good triangles, and identifying hexagonal shapes that can be turned into two trapezoids.
Shape Slasher was my first time using C# or XNA. It was done for the 2007 Triangle Game Jam. Vince co-developed it with me, although we originally started the jam working individually on different projects. At the end of the first day, we both suspected that we wouldn’t complete our projects, and decided to join forces. We flipped a coin to determine who’s project we would both work on and I won the toss. After the jam was over, we both put in some additional time to flesh out the levels, graphics, and balance the levels. In the end, I think it turned out pretty good.
