Unicycle Samurai

Unicycle Samurai is a bloody yet light-hearted, local 2-player jousting game built around outmaneuvering your opponent and collecting powerups in four exciting arenas.

Twins in feudal Japan woke a tanuki (trickster spirit) with their loud, incessant arguing; enraged, it flung them through time and space, cursing them to fight atop strange one-wheeled contraptions. They wander through eternity from arena to arena, continuing to fight over whose fault it was. 

Will these two ever break the curse, or are they doomed to fight eternally?

Gameplay:

• Drive the pointy bit of your sword into the other character before they can do it to you!
• Duel on unicycles making broad, sweeping turns.  Outmaneuver your opponent to get into position and strike when they can't hit you!
• Dash forward to strike your opponent or dodge back out of their way!
• Collect power-ups to improve your unicycle or attack your enemy!

Features:

• Four challenging arenas: Japanese Garden, Haunted Graveyard, Cat Cafe, and Pirate Ship
• Power-ups: speed boost, agility (improved turns), land mine, and ninja stars
• High-intensity two-player local competition: two controllers or controller and keyboard
  
• Challenging single-player option: Joust against an AI opponent
• Cinematic camera with dramatic kill shots
  • Includes option to replace blood with cherry blossom petals for more family-friendly mayhem
• Controller and keyboard support
  • Controller recommended for best experience
  • 2 controllers or controller and keyboard needed for two-player mode

About This Game: 

This was prototyped in Michigan State University MI 455: Game Design & Development II for the original team of 4, marked with * below

• Prototype round 1: 4 weeks (February-March 2022) 
• Prototype round 2: 4 weeks (March-April 2022) 

This was our project of choice in Michigan State University MI 497: Game Design Studio for the full team below.

• Final vertical sliver: 4 weeks (September 2022)
• Alpha: 4 weeks (October 2022) 
• Beta: 3 weeks (November 2022) 
• Final Polish: 2 weeks (December 2022) 

Team

• 3D / Environmental Artist: Kirsten Alumbaugh*
• Producer / Hardware Engineer / Prototype Programmer: Peter Guenther*
• Sound Engineer / Quality Assurance Manager: Cameron Havlish*
• Unity Programmer: Adam Kasumovic
• 3D Artist, VFX, & UI: Jordan Latta
• Unity Programmer: Tate Moorhouse
• Mechanic / Level Designer: Remy Streichenberger
• Character & VFX Artist: Al Wang*
• Music Composer: Eileen Snyder
• Additional UI Art: Yuchen Zhang

*Prototype team members

This game was originally part of the MSU Game Design Studio 2022 Charity Bundle!