Learn To Swim GGJ24

Learn To Swim was my first game jam submission to The Global Game Jam 2024, a six-day event. The project was heavily inspired by Learn To Fly by Light Bringer Games, a nostalgic flash game from my childhood. I really enjoyed participating in this event, especially as it followed my work on Grapple Shot, a game jam inspired project. The theme for this year’s jam was “Make Me Laugh”. My responsibilities included designing, implementing, and iterating on all gameplay features, as well as creating all assets and animations. The biggest challenge for me on this project was the quantity and level of detail I need to produce for the animations, an area which I have very limited experience however, I enjoyed the additional challenge. Additionally, I collaborated with a friend who composed audio and music for the game.

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In Learn To Swim, players control a character who wishes to catch the attention of the handsome lifeguard on watch. The player can purchase upgrades to swim further out into the sea to earn more attention. Whilst swimming, players must avoid sea creatures to maximize their distance. Swimming further earns more currency to purchase more upgrades for the character. Once all upgrades are purchased, a silly animation plays to conclude the game. The game feels more like a visual novel and lacked some elements of fun, but the experience was invaluable. I successfully completed and released a project by the end of the event, making the whole process worthwhile.