As the caption above suggest, I didn't actually make a coffee shop themed game but I would compare the development cycle for this game - Speed Force Fight to making a cup of 3 in 1 Espresso (Pretty sure it doesn't exist). It was an assignment for the subject I took - Game Genre Studies, I was tasked to make a beat em up game which contain elements from both Adventure and RPG in 12 weeks. We are also ask to conduct play test session every week in order to improve our game which help me sharpen my design sensibility and user interface design.

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       The objective that I set for the first part of the development phase is to establish the core gameplay and unique point of it. As you can see on the images above, I tried to build the gameplay slow and steady across 3 weeks because it is my first time making a beat em up game. I made a feature list which list down the bare minimum of a beat em up game, I do think that it's an extremely underrated process because people these days tend to skip the basics and rush to something above their reach. I decide that core features such as combat, movement and health point for both player and enemy is the essential hence it is what I focus heavily in this phase. 

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             The unique point that I wanted to implement into my beat em up game is the slow motion fight sequence that always happen when a speedster doing their super hero routine.

Since it is a rather rare mechanic, I spend the second phase trying to educate the player on how to utilize it and adding the adventure story part into the game. Basically I learn how to help player play the game better and having non gamer player to help me test out the game helps out a lot.

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    I observe the session and come out with two main conclusion which assist me with most of my user interface design. Firstly, having visual guide is always more powerful than text tutorial, instead of throwing player into a blank space and give them instruction to follow in order to continue to the next scene, I can give them a situation where they are force to try out the instruction I gave to overcome it. Second, give player all the information they need and this can only be figure out by constant play test and putting myself into the shoe of the players.

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       During the last phase of the development, I tried to put in the RPG elements into the game. I chose the upgrade mechanic because I am convince it can be the main motivation, the engagement loop of the game after a lecture class about RPG games. After several play test, I came to a realization that numbers play a big role for upgrades, the number have to be optimized so that it can keep the player interested yet not too easy to complete in a short amount of time.  

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     That's all it takes the make the special 3 in 1 Espresso, Develop -> Play Test -> Observe. Here's the link to try out the game and if you wish to know more about the development process, click on this link.