Food Coma

Mikaela Punzalan | Get In Touch mikaelapunzalan5@gmail.com

Final Product

Key Takeaways
WHAT WENT WELL

Food Coma succeeded in delivering a unique and humorous gameplay experience rooted in local food culture. The art direction, featuring stylized food and characters, was especially well-received and gave the game a strong identity. The mechanics were simple yet engaging, and the team worked efficiently across disciplines to ensure smooth integration of assets, gameplay, and narrative. User feedback was positive, particularly around the theme and visual polish.

LESSONS LEARNT

One key lesson was the importance of pacing and balance, where some levels needed refinement to maintain consistent challenge and engagement. We also realized the value of early and frequent playtesting to catch issues before they compounded. Lastly, finding the right balance between humor and gameplay clarity was essential to keep players immersed without causing confusion, reinforcing how tone and design must work hand-in-hand.

Cutscenes

Cutscenes in Food Coma enhance the narrative with a comedic, over-the-top tone that matches the game’s absurd premise. Stylized animations and expressive characters bring each scene to life, creating humorous transitions between levels while deepening the story of a protagonist spiraling into a food-fueled frenzy. These moments offer players a quick breather and a burst of personality that ties the whole experience together.

Project Overview

Step into the chaotic, flavor-packed world of Food Coma, an action-packed dungeon crawler where food fights back!

Play as Ricky the Culinary Chef, journeying through vibrant, monster-filled food realms to collect rare ingredients. Battle quirky, food-themed enemies, overcome culinary challenges, and unlock powerful recipes.
Your ultimate goal? Defeat Cai Fan, the devious Food King, and claim your place as the ultimate culinary champion!

DETAILS

Genre: Action-Adventure, Dungeon Crawler

Platform: PC

Team Size: 8

Tools Used: Figma, Unity

FEATURES

Dynamic Food Enemies
Unique Weapon Upgrades
Energy Management
Challenging Boss Mechanics
Top-Down Gameplay
Survival Elements

My Contributions
PRODUCT MANAGER

Managed a team of 8, and oversaw team coordination, ensuring tasks were distributed effectively among developers, artists, and designers. Created schedules and milestones to keep the project on track and ensure timely delivery of a polished game.

GAMEPLAY PROGRAMMER

Built the game's prototype using Unity, defining core gameplay systems and mechanics as a foundation for further development. Adjusted and refined the prototype based on team and player feedback.

LEVEL DESIGNER

Designed level layout and flow, ensuring gameplay was engaging and intuitive while aligning with the game's progression. Collaborated with the art lead to utilize assets effectively and enhance visual appeal. Leveraged the development team's game engine to construct and fine-tune levels.

SOUND DESIGNER

Designed and implemented sound effects that matched the food-themed environment and enemies. This included implementing distinct sounds for food items, weapons, and enemy interactions.

NARRATIVE DESIGNER

Conceptualized core and secondary mechanics, ensuring they fit cohesively into the gameplay loop. Crafted the narrative structure and lore, giving the game a unique identity and theme. Guided the overall gameplay experience, balancing challenge and player satisfaction.

Level Design Layout

The level design layout in Food Coma blends chaotic action with strategic movement across a variety of food-themed stages. Each level introduces new mechanics and enemy behaviors, layered within visually rich environments. Carefully placed obstacles and level placements guide player progression while maintaining a fun, challenging pace.