Riverboat Pachinko

2023-Ongoing / PC

Image shows an in-game screenshot of a river. In the foreground, a small yellow hut with a black roof sits on a small, rocky island - connected to the riverbank by a steel bridge. A tiny boat is visible far in the distance, beyond rocks and hills.

Role:
Designer

Solo Developer

Date:
Q1 2023 – Ongoing

Created In

Unity 3D, C#

Summary

“I don’t think that’s how boats are supposed to work.”

– A Very Wise Observer

Riverboat Pachinko is a simple physics game that’s part pinball, part pachinko, and all boat! Navigate your way through a collection of maritime physics puzzles, flinging and bouncing boats all about! There are no wrong answers in marine navigation – that we care about – so sit back, relax, and start launching boats!

Project Details

Riverboat Pachinko is a solo project, started early 2023 with the goal of making something small – where I could design and try out gameplay in rapid succession.

I originally conceived of the project as more of a puzzle-y, boat logistics sort of game. But in considering the work involved, and testing some basic mechanics – I decided that pachinko seemed more fun to play (and develop)!

My design work on the project thus far includes systems, levels, UI, and UX! The gallery below contains images from my work. Click on the details sections of each image for a further breakdown.

A grey checkerboard square hovers above a grey void. A single blue channel runs through the middle of the square, from northeast to southwest. At the far end of the channel sits a small, brown boat. On the other end, a small island with two hills.
A small chunk of a waterway hovers above a grey background. A blue canal with green hills on either side. A tiny boat spins out as it navigates the rocks below a salmon-colored bridge, on it's way to a little island with a red harbor.
A fjord-inspired map. A blue river winds northeast to southwest through a steep canyon. In the north, a boat spins through a series of rocky bluffs, headed two island ports in the south.
A picture of a green fjord valley, with a gray menu overlay. The title reads "Riverboat Pachinko", and there is a play button in the bottom corner.
Image of a simple blue water channel, flowing between two sets of green hills. A boat makes its way to a tiny green island, with a red building on it.
A straight channel of blue water, with a current flowing northeast to southwest. Step-hills of green grass and brown soil flank either side. A tunnel at the bottom left opens out towards the water, with a road running over a bridge to an island shack in the center.
A blue river opens into a small lake, running northeast to southwest. The lake contains several small islands, surrounding a large island at the end with a little harbor. A few red buoys are scattered around.

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