Tree Hoppers

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Inspiration

Tree Hoppers was inspired by the urgent need to protect frogs and their rapidly disappearing habitats. Frogs face growing threats from habitat destruction. This rage platformer mirrors the real-world struggle frogs endure as their habitats disappear. Through this game, we wanted to raise awareness about the importance of preservation by immersing players in a world where a small frog overcomes challenges, representing the resilience of nature and the need to safeguard it before it’s too late.

What it does

Tree Hoppers is a 2D platformer where players control a frog that can jump between platforms and use its tongue to stick to objects, creating a unique mechanic for navigating obstacles. The goal is to climb higher through various levels of treetops, avoiding pitfalls while discovering new ways to reach the top. The game blends timing, precision, and creative problem-solving as players master the frog's movement and tongue mechanics to progress.

How we built it (with BIG FROG ENERGY)

Game Development: The game mechanics and core functionality were implemented using GDScript in Godot. This allowed us to develop smooth, responsive jumping and tongue mechanics for the frog, along with complex physics-based interactions with platforms and objects. We used a variety of physics principles, including elastic collisions, projectile motion, and a sophisticated collision detection system that categorizes interactions based on layers, mass, and groups to trigger specific actions.

Leaderboard: To add a competitive aspect, we built a leaderboard using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS for the front-end, with Node.js and MongoDB on the back-end. The leaderboard tracks player progress and scores, allowing players to compare their performance with others.

Challenges we ran into

Merge conflicts due to using two different versions of Godot (whoops!).
Fine-tuning jump physics with linear interpolation to feel just right.
Implementing the tongue mechanics for sticking and movement.
Figuring out how to effectively convey our message about the importance of protecting frog habitats, which are being polluted and destroyed.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Overcoming technical and design challenges, especially around the tongue mechanics and jump physics.
Successfully integrating our environmental message into a fun, frog-themed game
Creating a complex physics system with elastic collisions, projectile motion, and a layered collision detection system.
it has BIG FROG ENERGY

What we learned

Always make sure the entire team is using the same version of Godot to avoid painful merge conflicts.
Iterating on mechanics like jump physics and tongue interaction takes time, but it's worth the effort to make the gameplay feel smooth.