Tekling

Link: Tekling

Title: Lead Designer

Role: Game Designer, Lead Level Designer/Programmer

Company: nonPareil Institute

Platform: PC, Mobile

Engine: Stencyl

Tekling is a 2D platformer designed for mobile devices where players start as a squishy fragile human but by collecting the three energy orbs can transform into the high jumping, wall climbing, energy blasting hero: Tekling. The gameplay is as if Super Meat Boy could turn into Megaman. That feeling of passing all the saw blades and explosives to get that third energy ball and breeze past all the obstacles that gave them so much trouble was so satisfying.

The more interesting levels had an challenge for both player modes. We would try to make the transition to Tekling happen when the player is in a precarious position so they have to react with lightning speed to get out of danger.

I was the game designer on this project built in Stencyl, a fairly obscure engine that is exclusively 2D and has a very learner friendly interface and a visual based scripting language. It's really great for teaching entry level game developers game concepts, which is what this game was purpose built for

The nonPareil Institute's mission is to provide a place for adults on the Autism spectrum to experience what it is like to work in a professional environment by practicing in areas of that are of interest to them. I built Tekling so that incoming students on the level design track had a canvas to work with and new programmers could see how things worked under the hood to help them learn the basics. Over 50 levels were made for the original Tekling by students as well as different "power suits" with different abilities, but what I'm most proud of is that this game inspired students to make two sequels on their own that included enemies and new mechanics.