This project is a top-down 3D game where the player takes on the role of a ranger with a seemingly simple mission: to make a sandwich. The gameplay revolves around intuitive left-click mechanics for movement, interaction, and combat. The player must gather ingredients by interacting with various home appliances, such as a fridge and a oven. Each interaction triggers an animation where the ranger moves to the appliance, performs the action, and collects the ingredient. Once all ingredients are gathered, the sandwich is assembled and placed on the table.

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However, the peaceful task takes a chaotic turn when a horde of hungry zombies appears, drawn to the delicious sandwich. The player must defend the sandwich by shooting down the zombies until a countdown timer expires. If the sandwich survives the onslaught, the player achieves victory and unlocks a satisfying ending. If the zombies manage to eat the sandwich, the game ends in failure.

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Key Features and Implementation:

1. Movement and Interaction:

   • I used Unity’s NavMesh system to handle the ranger’s movement. When the player clicks on an appliance, the ranger navigates to it, plays an interaction animation, and collects the ingredient.

   • The same left-click mechanic is used for combat: clicking on a zombie directs the ranger to shoot a projectile in its direction.

2. Zombie AI:

   • The zombies have a simple but effective AI: they use NavMesh to pathfind from their spawn points directly to the sandwich. Their sole goal is to reach and eat it, creating a constant sense of urgency for the player.

3. Dynamic Gameplay:

   • The game features a countdown timer that adds tension, requiring the player to balance shooting zombies and protecting the sandwich.

   • The incremental difficulty increases as more zombies spawn over time, keeping the player engaged and challenged.

4. Visual and Audio Feedback:

   • I added visual and audio feedback for interactions, such as the ranger’s animations when using appliances or shooting zombies, as well as sound effects for gunfire, zombie growls, and sandwich-related actions.

5. Optimization:

   • The NavMesh system was crucial for optimizing pathfinding, ensuring smooth movement for both the player and zombies. This also helped prevent performance issues, even with a growing number of enemies on screen.

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Challenges and Solutions:

One of the main challenges was ensuring the ranger’s movement and interactions felt fluid and responsive. By fine-tuning the NavMesh settings and animation transitions, I achieved a seamless experience.

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Another challenge was balancing the zombie spawn rate and difficulty. Through playtesting, I adjusted the spawn intervals and zombie speed to create a fair but challenging gameplay loop.

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Personal Growth:

This project was a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of AI behavior, NavMesh pathfinding, and game balancing. I also enjoyed implementing the seasoning mechanic (pun intended) of combining a lighthearted premise with intense action, which added a unique flavor to the game.