Crimson Reckoning Postmortem & GG!
And just like that, the semester is over, and the final version of Crimson Reckoning is complete.
Our team, PaperFrame Studios, combined four distinct skill sets to create a dark fantasy platformer influenced by Soulslike games. We spent the last few weeks designing wave-based combat, creating enemy AI, balancing player mobility, implementing perks, and even adding a full boss battle. It's been tough, challenging, and incredibly rewarding.
Throughout the project, my primary responsibilities were mechanics and narrative integration. I helped develop player mobility, collaborated closely with George on combat systems, and contributed to worldbuilding and narrative, all of which helped form the game's dismal tone. I also assisted in playtesting sessions and helped apply suggestions to improve clarity and tempo.
Looking back, our greatest success was our ability to respond to playtester input. Each session showed difficulties we hadn't considered: unfair adversary spawning, ambiguous UI, and small attack windows. We didn't see this feedback as criticism; instead, we regarded it as motivation to iterate. As Fullerton explains in Game Design Workshop, building games is constantly chasing delight through iterative playtesting and improvement cycles. During that process, our game genuinely evolved.
One of the final important changes was to improve the boss fight with Dwayne the Golem. Originally, it lacked visual feedback and attack cues, but after some tweaking, it now feels like a fitting challenge with weight, pattern recognition, and potential for player creativity. We also improved the perk system, provided audio cues, and ensured that dying didn't seem like a failure, it was simply part of the process.
If we had more time, we'd look at a comprehensive progression system, several venues, and advanced combat systems such as parrying or special attacks. Still, I'm proud of what we managed to create in such a short period of time: a responsive, evocative, and challenging prototype. It taught me not just how to create a game, but also how to operate as part of a team with changing objectives.
Overall, I've learnt that game development requires iteration, communication, and clarity. The best ideas do not necessarily come from a single individual; rather, they develop when everyone participates, tests, and adapts. I've also discovered that even with simple tools like GDevelop, you can express a great deal of creativity if your systems are focused and well-defined.
This is GG for Crimson Reckoning, but I'd like to continue working on it after the course maybe even turn it into a complete release eventually. For the time being, however, we have made it through the waves, defeated the golem, and crossed the finish line!













