Royal Road

Inspiration

Royal Road began from a desire to transform the often passive tower placement of the tower defense genre into a character driven journey. I was inspired by the tactical formation management of Ogre Battle 64. My goal was to design a fairy tale where the stakes feel real by moving away from static towers toward a company of people the player names and grows and fears losing.

What it does

This project is a comprehensive preproduction package detailing the design of a mobile game through four integrated artifacts including a Game Design Document and Player Journey Map and Visual Concept Package and Production Plan. Together they outline a dual layered loop of Strategic Agency and Tactical Accountability. On an Aged Parchment world map the player navigates branching paths and weighs the rewards of harder encounter nodes against safer options. During 3D tactical encounters the player must form a defensive shell around the King who serves as the central loss condition. Units are persistent characters where survivors earn experience to level up while benched units provide passive boons. The ultimate goal is to arrive at the destination with a Legendary ranking.

How we built it

I designed a broad and multi layered strategic vision for the game and then used the Production Plan to bridge that concept into a buildable reality. Following competition guidelines, I distilled the full game design into a focused 4-to-8-week MVP build. This process involved sequencing technical dependencies so the core playable loop could be validated early. I established a visual identity using binary palettes with warm tones for the Kingdom and cold tones for the Opposition to ensure the design is both aesthetically cohesive and production ready. I implemented a scaled experience system where active units receive full points while benched units receive a reduced rate to ensure the entire roster stays viable.

Challenges we ran into

A major challenge I faced was honest scoping. I had to evaluate which systems were essential for the core experience and which belonged in the long-term vision. Deciding to move complex features like the gear economy and class promotions to later phases required a disciplined look at feasibility. I also focused on balancing the emotional attachment players feel for their units with the necessary tension of accountability. The King serving as the mandatory loss condition was a foundational design choice to anchor this tension ensuring that a failed run carries the meaningful consequence of lost progress.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I am particularly proud of the Benching System. Rather than a roster limit being a frustration I turned it into a strategic tradeoff. Units left off the battlefield unlock unique Passive Boons such as the Soldier providing a resistance buff or the Healer providing a health boost. This ensures that every unit in the procession contributes to victory whether they are on the front lines or guarding the rear.

What we learned

This project taught me that design thinking is more valuable than a sprawling feature list. By focusing on the why behind every mechanic, I created a more cohesive package. Mapping the Player Journey taught me to prioritize the first 30 seconds of the experience to hook the player before introducing deeper systems. I learned how to build a vision that is both ambitious and buildable.

What's next for Royal Road

My Legendary vision for Royal Road includes several deep system expansions. These include class promotions for veterans and dynamic environmental cycles that alter tactical advantages and a second economic layer allowing for deep unit customization through equipment. The foundation is ready and I have the blueprint to turn this storybook world into a production reality.

Built With

• canva
• claude
• notebooklm
• paint.net
• word