Arcana - Curtis Wagner

Game
10-minute playtime

Arcana is a Hack-n-Slash 2D Platformer with fast action, katana slicing, and lots of blood. Dark occultic aesthetics and badass ninjas inspire the game.

curtis content

A small Unity build of the very first scene that I created. There are some borrowed pixel art assets of grass tilesets and cave walls, and a small hut sits in the center of the scene.

A small Unity build of the very first scene that I created. There are some borrowed pixel art assets of grass tilesets and cave walls, and a small hut sits in the center of the scene.

The first character sheet I made of the main character. The sheet features the knight in various action poses, slicing the katana forward in multiple mockup attack animations.

The first character sheet I made of the main character. The sheet features the knight in various action poses, slicing the katana forward in multiple mockup attack animations.

My typical workspace for the Unity game engine. The highlighted window shows the visual animator for the player character. Animation state boxes of various colors are connected together by arrows, dictating the flow of how the player's sprite can move.

My typical workspace for the Unity game engine. The highlighted window shows the visual animator for the player character. Animation state boxes of various colors are connected together by arrows, dictating the flow of how the player's sprite can move.

he title screen of the game. The Arcana logo, a calligraphic text inscribed in front of a circle of blood, floats over the main menu selection options while small red embers emit from the bottom of the screen.

he title screen of the game. The Arcana logo, a calligraphic text inscribed in front of a circle of blood, floats over the main menu selection options while small red embers emit from the bottom of the screen.

Arcana is a fast-paced 2D platformer inspired by the gameplay of Hollow Knight, the aesthetics of Downwell, and the combo mechanics of fighting games. It's a wave-based hack-and-slash focused on delivering satisfying impacts along with strong occultic visuals. The game joins tight movement controls with quick katana slicing to give players the experience of what it's like to be a ninja in a world lost to time. The monochromatic pixel aesthetic harkens back to the early days of NES classics like Castlevania but maintains the fluidity and responsiveness that modern game engines have to offer. The goal of this project was to incorporate many aspects of game development together into one polished product. Enjoy slicing away!

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