Escape Dungeon

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In game - Start adventure
In game - find the key

Inspiration

We designed Escape Dungeon as a "pocket-sized adventure" for mobile/web, prioritizing a high-stakes loop of survival and escape over complex RPG mechanics. We wanted to deliver a compact, intense experience accessible instantly on any device.

What it does

Escape Dungeon: The Descent is a high-stakes, top-down dungeon crawler accessible directly through Mobile and Web browsers.

Intuitive Exploration: Players control a custom character using simple touch (or click) inputs to navigate a perilous, maze-like dungeon.

Trap Evasion: The core loop involves observing patterns and timing movements to dodge deadly traps like hidden spikes and pits.

Tactical Combat: Players must engage in real-time battles with monsters, positioning themselves strategically to survive.

Loot & Escape: The ultimate goal is to find four keys, collect coins scattered throughout the level, and unlock the exit before succumbing to the dungeon's dangers.

How we built it

Leveraging Horizon Scripting, we engineered a custom Top-Down Camera and "Touch Input Manager" to control Custom Character movements and animations via simple taps. We utilized Noesis UI for the interface, which surprisingly accelerated our design workflow and allowed for high-quality visual implementation.

Challenges we ran into

Implementing custom characters instead of Meta Avatars was technically complex, but we mastered the necessary workarounds to integrate them seamlessly. Additionally, adopting Noesis UI was a new experience that ultimately empowered our designers to build sophisticated GUIs without heavy coding.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Custom Character Integration: Instead of relying on standard Meta Avatars, we successfully engineered a Custom Character System. We overcame technical limitations to implement smooth movement and animation transitions that respond instantly to touch inputs.

Mastering Noesis UI: We stepped away from traditional UI tools and adopted Noesis UI. This allowed our designers to create professional-grade, animated interfaces without complex coding, significantly accelerating our workflow and elevating the game's visual polish.

Cross-Platform Optimization: We "redefined" optimization tricks to bypass World Capacity limits. We managed to pack a dense, object-rich dungeon environment into a lightweight build that maintains a high, stable frame rate on low-spec mobile devices and web browsers.

What we learned

Facing World Capacity limits, we applied our expertise in low-spec device development. We redefined optimization "tricks" to build a rich, modular dungeon environment without compromising performance on mobile chipsets.

What's next for Escape Dungeon

We plan to introduce denser, themed levels and evolve the gameplay by adding weapons, shields, and a Skill Tree, transforming the player from a simple survivor into a true Dungeon Hunter.