This profile by Justin Snyder recounts Slash Dash’s journey from NYU Game Center student project to indiecade winner to Xbox One exclusive. | bit.ly/1wn9LYV
The final level takes us to an imperial castle rooftop, armed with deadly spike traps to deter ninja invaders!
Spike traps are the only way to die other than getting slashed! They'll poke up as you walk over them, giving you a brief window to run or teleport to safety!
Capture the Flag: The left path is your safest bet. Just be careful not to get knocked into the spikes by enemy shots. The right path is closed off to flag carriers by the bottom wall, but it's still useful for approaching the enemy base, especially for the Blue team. The middle stairway is a big risk, with two rows of spikes so close together. A persistent ninja can carry a flag across alone, teleporting off and on the spikes with proper timing, but getting SlashDashed across is much faster.
The TeleSlashDash: Did you know you can teleport while slashing? It's called a TeleSlash & it lets you slash in two places at once. Did you also know the teleport distance is the same as the SlashDash distance? If you TeleSlash your teammate with the flag, they'll get SlashDashed twice in a row. This double boost is tricky to pull off, especially when there are spike traps involved, but the center path in CTF Feudal Fortress is designed around it.
Assassination: Thankfully the Shogun is impervious to spikes, making this a great level for passing him back and forth. Try to knock your opponents into a trap before going in for the Shogun kill.
Mirror Match: Be careful not to lose your ninjas to the spikes! The spikeless corners of the map, including the two towers, are prime territory. Try trapping part of your team in a safe corner and sending one or two ninjas on a mission around the spikes to chase down an enemy.
Deathrace: Dying in a spike trap is just as detrimental to your Deathrace score as dying by the sword. Sniping from the towers is a viable strategy, but be ready to bail if the other ninjas come for you. Notice the bottom wall is interrupted on this map, meaning you'll have to time your teleports properly if you want to stay elusive. The bottom dead-ends are the best place to corner a winning ninja.
I was determined to get a rooftop level into the game, with dramatic Japanese architecture and Shachihoko statues. Forcing the perspective to work in a top down game was a real challenge. There aren't multiple tiers in SlashDash; the stages are flat. Feudal Fortress had to communicate that while still evoking a multi-layered castle.
For this last level, the art choices dictated some of the level design, which is most apparent in the asymmetrical CTF level, where the towers and right hand path can feel vestigial and are there mainly because we need some ground to light up when we show the score. I'm still proud of Feudal Fortress and what it represents as a culmination of SlashDash's level design.
That wraps up this project! Thanks for taking a closer look at the game with me. A collection of all these level-centric posts can be found here.
Bamboo stalks and rice rack fences form a maze between a bower of sugi trees.
Capture the Flag: This level is straight up asymmetrical. Red has two flags while Blue only has one. It's usually an advantage for Blue, as they can split their efforts to score twice as quickly, but it's hard to plan ahead in a level that asks you to carve your own path through messy clusters of bamboo. With the proper weapon selection, Red can take advantage of that confusion. Knowing when to split up or work together is essential here.
Deathrace and Mirror Match: When an area is cleared of bamboo, take advantage of the open field before it grows back! The yellow and brown rice fences are low enough to shoot across, so bamboo is the only thing blocking shots!
Assassination: Staying on the inside of the intersection means ninjas can approach you from all sides, but it's harder to get cornered in the center. If your Shogun gets caught in a bamboo pocket or against the rice rack fences, that could spell the end of the round. Alternatively, leaving your Shogun stuck on a corner means you can defend him from afar without worrying where your back is turned.
Ninjas sail across the ice in this snowy mountain village!
Capture the Flag: The Flag Slides on Ice! You can teleport to drop the flag and score from afar, ice hockey style. If your opponents try this with your flag, you can shoot it to stop it from sliding too far.
The flag slides in the direction the ninja was moving before the drop, so it can wind up moving into a far corner, or back towards the enemy goal. The ice is faster, but walking over the center island is more predictable and can be easier for setting up a SlashDash.
Mirror Match and Assassination: Staying off the ice feels safer, certainly. But a little unpredictability in your movement is a good thing if you're being hunted down. The Assassination level feels especially sparse. While these maps aren't divided into definite paths, they do have three distinct areas: the center island, the ice rink, and the rim of ground on the edge of the village.
Deathrace: This map does away with the center island – it's ice all the way through. Try ricocheting off the edges of the ice rink for maximum speed!
Because of the ice, Frozen Village plays totally different from a lot of other maps. It was a total joy to do the art for. I was looking at traditional gasshō houses in villages like Shirakawa. The row of ojizō-sama with straw hats on the bottom right is a reference to the Kasajizō folktale.
The fight takes us to an island graveyard shrouded in mist.
Capture the Flag: The most open map in the game, a steady stream of fog is the main obstacle. As with other open maps, shooting is emphasized over teleporting. We liked the idea of ninjas hiding under heavy fog and the pressure it put on keeping track of all the other players. The fog was too distracting on levels with, say, water, bamboo, and forking paths. We cut back on the fog for Hot Springs, but for Phantom Island we simplified the level itself until it the heavy diversion worked.
Deathrace and Mirror Match: While the bottom left and top right of the map may feel like the most defensive positions on these "S" shaped maps, there's really very little cover other than the fog. Don't be afraid to fight for dominance over the center of the map!
In the Rock Garden post, I said Mirror Match Maps require more room, but as we get to later levels, we're obviously breaking that rule, especially around the spawn points. Here the Deathrace map has less obstacles in part because taking advantage of fog makes Phantom Island an easy level to play keep away.
Assassination: Add to the fog a maze of gravestones! Phantom Island is very open for an Assassination level. The gravestones block shots, but it's still easy to get around them without teleporting. You can take advantage by rushing the enemy Shogun, but it's also easier to pass your Shogun around.
Try not to get too intimidated by the monkeys in this mountain paradise.
Hot Springs is dominated by a wide, open pool – perfect for shooting matches. Sorry ninjas can't take a dip. Not sure you'd want to as the Hot Springs have been overtaken by a family of Japanese macaques.
Capture the Flag and Mirror Match:
The bottom path is closed off by bamboo, making it slower and safer than the top path. That bridge is the fastest rate across the Hot Springs, but offers less cover. Beware of enemy ninjas SlashDashing and TeleSlashing over the bridge! Also, you may want to think twice before using the tiny island as a shortcut across. It's easy for a single ninja to get trapped there by enemy shots.
Mirror Match squads each spawn with bamboo between their ninjas, making it easier to split your team at the start of the match.
Deathrace and Assassination:
The center island is much larger on these maps, so it's easy to teleport on and off of. It's a good place to shoot from, but there's plenty of bamboo on the edges to hide behind for more defensive players.
See the Shoguns hiding behind stalks of bamboo? They'll stay corralled in on the wooden walkways at the start. You might not want to leave them lingering in the middle of the map for long.
You'll notice the misty fog adding a nice ambience to the level. The original design was for the fog to be much more prominent and opaque, so that ninjas could travel underneath a cloud while carrying the flag and it wouldn't be be clear which path they were taking. Ultimately the heavy fog wasn't well suited for Hot Springs — but don't worry — fog gets turned up to eleven on a much more open level we'll be covering next time. Until then.
Nowhere is safe from ninja hijinks, not even the shogun's private palace.
Sliding shoji doors are this level's signature mechanic. Slashing will open and close the screen doors, but you can also slash the gongs to close all the doors on that side of the field — useful for impeding your opponents from afar.
CTF Players Take Note: The Red Team spawns closer to the Blue Goal and the Blue Team spawns closer to the Red Goal! The center of the map is totally open. Take advantage of all that space with some well-aimed shots. Matches on Shogun's Palace used to drag on until we swapped the player spawn points. It makes for matches that escalate quickly but often have last minute comebacks. In most CTF maps, you enter enemy territory to pick up the flag, but in Shogun's Palace the the most dangerous spot is in front of your own base, right before you capture it.
Game Mode Variations:
In Deathrace and Mirror Match it's easy to keep away from the action in your own nook of the palace. Use the gongs to your advantage — slashing one will close three sets of doors at once. Closed doors force a ninja to either slash it open or teleport over it. Be ready with an ambush on the other side.
Shogun's Palace Assassination is split in two, so it's important to take note of which path your opponents move to. Do they keep their Shogun on the bottom path and send their offensive ninja along on the top? Are they concentrating their forces in a single corner? This level really highlights the offensive & defensive roles Assassination asks players to take.
Remember — sometimes an open door is more defensive than a closed one, as you can get a clear shot on an approaching enemy.
A forgotten shrine deep in the forest, reclaimed by bamboo and water lilies, where ninjas prowl through twisting corridors and overflowing cisterns.
Lost Temple went through countless iterations and design changes. The art for Rock Garden and River Basin were completely redone once Lost Temple was finished. The redesign came during a formative period for SlashDash, right after we won the Indiecade Audience Choice Award.
The right and left sides here are two different iterations of Lost Temple. Or should I say Mountain Pass? The original idea was to have a long, snaking path for flag carriers at the top, with the goals very close together at the bottom, separated by water. Similar to River Basin, but instead of choosing to take the flag either up or down, flag carriers would inevitably meet in the tunnels. We called the level Mountain Pass and after this mockup, Tanuki Tōge, since the top of the map started to resemble a racoon face. This version was way too cramped for combat, and matches dragged on forever with such a long path separating the goals.
Art-wise, we knew the ninjas were blocky faces with swords, but we were still figuring out how stylized their world should be. Would game objects be laid on an invisible grid? Were we making a curvy, vectorized riff on pixel art? (No, and not intentionally). Ultimately, Mountain Pass felt too manicured to be a natural rock formation. The colliders looked manmade and worked better as roof tops and Komainu statues than abstract rock formations.
Lost Temple has three lanes that meet in the middle and on the sides. The long way at the top provides the most coverage and is easy to SlashDash across. The winding middle path is blocked by bamboo at either end. You'll need to slash the bamboo down to carry the flag past. From the bottom peninsula, ninjas have a clear shot of both team goals and the center of the map. Chop down the bamboo there to maximize your shot coverage.
For a while, players would give feedback that teleporting was broken in Lost Temple. They'd teleport over one river and then the button would stop working when they reached next. In reality, their teleport cooldown simply wasn't ready yet. We added more feedback, first a sound and then bursting sweat bubbles to communicate to players that their ninjas weren't ready to teleport again.
Ultimately, we widened the peninsula. Players saw twin streams separating the goals and expected to be able to jump over them one after the other. The teleport cooldown already limits how fast ninjas can cross the map. Pushing the streams apart means ninjas spend that time running instead of dawdling on the water's edge, waiting for a hidden timer to finish.
Game Mode Variations:
In Assassination, it's easy for the Shogun to get stuck behind a corner, which you can use to your strategic advantage. Because the shogun can't teleport over the rivers it's easier to corner him in the bottom half of the map.
For Deathrace & Mirror Match, Lost Temple is compartmented by sharp right angles and bamboo walls. Do you want to teleport behind the bamboo for added protection or chop it down so you're ready to make a clean escape? Hiding in the cramped ruins may feel safe, but be careful you aren't boxing yourself in. The walls are slim and an enemy can teleport in at any moment.
Close quarters makes for fast-paced action on SlashDash's second map.
River Basin matches are fast. The goals are closer than any other CTF map. And look at those spawn points — right in the open, the opposite of Rock Garden. Why is that? Because River Basin is all about WATER.
You can't run over water, but you can shoot and teleport across it. So go ahead, rush your enemies across the lake! Just switch up your strategy as soon as you pick up the flag. Teleport routes are closed off to flag carriers and water leaves them exposed to shots. You're gonna have to bring the flag around the lake, on either the upper or lower path, which can split the action in two different directions. Just be careful, with nothing but that tiny lake separating you from the enemy spawn points, foes can catch up to you in a flash.
Game Mode Variations:
In Deathrace & Mirror Match the lake is expanded to a huge river dividing the field in two. You can teleport over the stream at the bottom, but the giant log is actually a bridge that ninjas can run straight across. Instead of inviting players to clash in the center, River Basin is a game of keep away. Time your teleports to keep moving smoothly and remember you can deflect shots back over the water with your sword.
See the pumpkins/Kabocha squash? They're slash-able! They grow back, but while they're chopped you'll be able to shoot right over the planters.
Squash is basically proto-bamboo, which is what we'll be talking about next time, when we cover Lost Temple.
Let's talk level design! We're gonna run through all nine SlashDash stages, one by one, talk about our design process and give some gameplay tips. Starting with Rock Garden. Ready to get nostalgic?
OG SlashDash. In the dawn of time, when shots could kill and ninjas couldn't drop the flag, when the SlashDash mechanic was so new that the game was called Ninjas, there were…choke points. Lots of 'em.
The biggest changes to Rock Garden were early responses to the game's evolving core. When we differentiated the weapons, making shots stun and katanas kill, playing the lone sniper with deadly shots was no longer possible. At the same time we were trying to emphasize SlashDashing & teamwork. The final Rock Garden is a bit simpler, with more breathing room. The "L" Blocks in the center courtyard are taller now, with more space to teleport and SlashDash through.
Ninja spawn points are in the corners, half-concealed behind a house. Those houses are there for cover and to teach new players about the teleport's limitations. If you're not sure you can teleport across a certain gap, just think – Is it smaller then a house?
It's easy to communicate an impassable wall when the obstacle is big and square, but rectangular obstacles can be tricky. The Garden Pool is too wide to teleport through horizontally, but not vertically. We stressed that in the art, putting tall shrines on the left and right, while making the center look more open.
Early SlashDash had huge rectangles fill in the background to show the score. The concentric circle background was designed to serve the same purpose while invoking the raked gravel patterns of a zen garden. It was a big step in conceptualizing the art style for the game.
Game Mode Variations:
We probably won't show all four Game Mode maps in the future, but I'm going to include them all here as an intro to how we approached designing for different modes.
The choke points in CTF Rock Garden staunchly divide the map in two. But while the team goals are stationary in CTF, the Shoguns in Assassination can travel all over the map. Gameplay revolves around shifting your enemy's objective while chasing after your own. The map is looser, with more room for shooting and passing the Shogun.
Out of the gate, the Shogun will run towards the primary colored ninja, Red or Blue. You might want to slash him to your teammate before going on the offensive.
In Free for All modes, combat tends to gravitate to the center of the map. The courtyard is expanded into a battle arena, with an outer ring for players with a more defensive style.
Mirror Match Maps require more room! Especially on the early maps, like Rock Garden, where players need to get a feel for controlling five ninjas at once.
Mirror Match spawn points are always different because A) We have to make room for the five ninja configuration and B) Ninjas don't respawn in Mirror Match. It's last man standing. Blue would totally dominate that left lane if their ninjas reappeared there with invincibility, but in Mirror Match it's no longer Blue's territory the moment the Blue squad steps off.
These maps also have water – an obstacle that blocks ninjas from walking, but not from shooting. More on water next time.
Important PSA: The red bridges are technically water – they don't block shots! Be careful leading your ninjas across.
The last mode to cover is Assassination! It's 2 vs 2, Red vs Blue, but instead of fighting over flags, each team wants to assassinate the enemy Shogun.
The round ends when a Shogun is assassinated. The first team to score three assassinations wins.
Each Shogun follows one player at a time. While he's on your tail, watch where your back is turned! If you're in a tight spot, you can slash your Shogun to send him running to your teammate.
Players split offense and defensive duties, so communication is key. You can hang back with your Shogun and let your teammate go after the enemy, or push ahead as a team. Bringing your Shogun into the fray is a risky move, but it's harder to get cornered if you and your teammate are close enough to pass the Shogun back and forth.
Protip: The Shogun can't be shot! Stun his leader from afar, then go in for the kill. If you kill his ninja leader, the Shogun will run to the remaining teammate, so it's not always wise to kill the ninja first.
In Mirror Match each player controls a squad of five ninjas simultaneously. Fight to the death against the enemy hordes, last ninja standing wins!
For 2-4 players, Mirror Match is the fastest, most chaotic mode by far. Keeping tabs on your five-ninja squad is the main challenge. Keeping them close makes them easier to manage, and stacking your shots and slashes can be super intimidating. Alternatively, spreading your ninjas apart means they're less likely to get killed all at once. A single ninja can take down a pack if they're too close together.
You can SlashDash your copies in Mirror Match! This is a great way for a pack of ninjas to go on the offensive.
Deathrace is a 2-4 player free for all where ninjas fight to stay alive the longest!
Each ninja has a meter in the center of the map that fills over time. Getting stunned by shots or killed by katanas will slow your meter down. The first ninja to fill their meter wins.
If you fall behind, you'll need to play aggressively to catch up by shooting and slashing your opponents back. When one ninja pulls into the lead, the other players can team up to take them out. It's possible to win Deathrace just by being stealthy and staying out of trouble from the start. It's a ninja-focused take on a local multiplayer brawl.
SlashDash has four different game modes, but Capture the Flag is the original. It's a 2 vs 2 showdown, all about tactics and teamwork. The first team to bring the enemy flag back to their base three times wins!
Carrying the flag slows you down, plus it prevents shooting. Getting hit with most shots from afar (including the basic kunai) will make you drop the flag. No shooting means you have to rely on your sword! Remember: You can deflect shots with a well-timed slash!
Teleporting will drop the flag. This means you can't carry it over water or other obstacles you'd normally jump over. Try teleporting off the flag to defeat your enemies, then picking it back up when the coast is clear.
Standing on your own team's flag will make it return back to your base. If both teammates stand on their flag together, it'll return home faster. Knowing when to split up or stay together is key to Capture the Flag!
THE SLASHDASH:
When your teammate has the flag, slash them to make them dash. That speed boost is crucial — ninjas who SlashDash together win together!
Welcome to the first blog post on our new DevBlog. This week we revealed our release date for SlashDash. SlashDash will be launching on the Xbox One, July 17th. We can’t wait for you all to get to play!
We’ve known about the release date for a little over a month, so it felt good to finally announce it publicly. Of course that isn’t the end of our work on SlashDash. We’re working on a Patch for you guys that will fix some bugs we missed and improve our visuals effects.
If you haven’t seen our Teaser Trailer you can watch it here.
Once again we can’t wait to see SlashDash in the wild and for you to finally have it in your living rooms. Stay tuned to the DevBlog as we’re going to be posting a lot more good stuff, including our different projectiles and levels.
Speak to you soon,
Alex
Nevernaut Games @nevernautgames - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
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