About
Interstate is a custom VVVVVV level made in 2 weeks for the NYU Game Center.
The level features new rooms, enemy patterns, and puzzles.
This was a solo dev project.
Media
![Interstate is a Frogger-inspired take on VVVVVV.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/5e459eee-da02-46b5-a2fc-fc068bde3aaf_rw_1920.png?h=a7a86af87910247fabc9cbd654c6cae4)
Interstate is a Frogger-inspired take on VVVVVV.
![10 unique rooms to beat!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/2ea806c2-da5e-4442-b24a-b5947ddc492b_rw_1920.png?h=c00e3a77096022dbe1f5860dc7699c05)
10 unique rooms to beat!
![Discover your sense of timing—](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/0ffe1480-e76c-46fb-a0a4-470fb0829566_rw_1920.png?h=181855a04d428db58139f81c08e0fd0a)
Discover your sense of timing—
![—and put it to the test.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/2cce693c-8e74-4339-988d-fab86956326a_rw_1920.png?h=4e8738abd58ad8e0f48236b3e648ebaa)
—and put it to the test.
Process
If VVVVVV is a about one thing, it's about precision platforming. So when I had an assignment to design a level for the game, I wanted to see if there were other facets of the game I could explore.
![Shoutout to the VVVVVV editor for making it all possible.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/aaea9c3b-beb1-4c60-a22e-8ce07777160c_rw_1920.png?h=d6948d4fdff4dd65011965c2ae821c1f)
Shoutout to the VVVVVV editor for making it all possible.
A large chunk of my original designs had the player idling, waiting for platforms to crumble to progress. I was essentially exploring the facet of "waiting," not the most inspired choice if I'm being honest. So I switched gears, leaning into another area I was exploring: movement.
![Before—](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/a8918de5-cb76-46ba-84aa-b32a3acd7b13_rw_1920.png?h=409498b5c76b65d72e40e9f8a5ee2716)
Before—
![—and after!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/cb3afa30-e48d-4bb0-a694-b84b8f6f2781_rw_1920.png?h=9078bd804cdc02c07621aab819fe1499)
—and after!
The biggest change in my designs, while not included in the images above, was the inclusion of spikes. Spikes are a necessary evil in VVVVVV, since they're one of the few things that can force player movement. It's easy to wait for the right moment once you've figured out a pattern, but throw some spikes into the mix and suddenly stalling for time becomes a gauntlet that punishes hesitation.
![Before—](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/81118fcd-061d-4d10-aded-e2a372760286_rw_1920.png?h=596254bddb8650c68ad0a423f3f1c3ba)
Before—
![—and after!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/97299f8e-8483-44ba-b303-f8b5a19a3a03_rw_1920.png?h=84828764cf8aad4550125fd93b017829)
—and after!
In the end I couldn't get away from precision in my designs. But that's okay, because then it wouldn't have been a VVVVVV level, would it?
Of course, the real star of the show was playtesting, since it's thanks to playtesting feedback that I got the necessary kick in the pants to revisit my designs in the first place.
![Before—](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/2283a002-1ab3-4d97-8f29-953b5e039e1a_rw_1920.png?h=58f1b30212ef5068d45faded39e153f7)
Before—
![—and after!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fba385ce-ec0a-4cd9-8075-b89865a9b8ce/fadda460-e500-411a-a0e0-e1f71852bce9_rw_1920.png?h=a284544866a5a1dfdc297542db01f65e)
—and after!
You can watch a playthrough of Interstate on YouTube.
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