Half-Baked

Fairy tales are not always what they seem, and the story of The Gingerbread Man is no exception. "Half-Baked" is a sour nightmare for sweet treats. Play as the tortured Gingerbread Man and stick your way through the malicious corridors of the Baker's lair to escape to newfound freedom. "Half-Baked" is a ridiculous, physics-based, puzzle-adventure VR experience that challenges the player to use a unique movement system to navigate the environment and solve puzzles.

Genre: VR puzzle adventure

Role: Producer

Team: 8 members

Engine: Unreal Engine 5

Development: 15 weeks

As part of the third year DES310 module at Abertay University, students from different game related courses work together in teams to deliver a polished demo according to a brief given to them by a games studio. I was part of the Crows in a Crisis team. We brough “Half-Baked” to life under the tutorship of NearLight Studios.

Our client provided us with a virtual reality (VR) brief that instructed us to replace the player’s in-game hands with something challenging for them to interact with. The brief was broad enough to allow for unique ideas. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to put the players in silly situations and encourage exaggerated movements.

The module spanned over 13 weeks and provided the students with a simulation of a games studio environment. I wanted to be part of a team of skilled and passionate individuals, people who are motivated and ready for a challenge. The team was composed of 2 designers, 3 artists. 2 programmers and myself, the producer.

Being tasked with making difficult decisions, the producer is always engaged in maintaining a delicate balance between the team’s well-being and the game’s best interests. This project also helped me understand that as a producer I represent a bridge between the team and the relevant parties involved with the game. I had to provide the team with a safe and calm environment where they could focus on their work and not worry about managerial responsibilities.

I was part of the creative process as well as being involved with every aspect of the game. This helped me understand the workflow of different disciplines, what is manageable to achieve in the given timeframe and define our scope. As a result, we were always on-schedule since the production schedule was made according to all members’ roles, requests, and time needs. I had to make sure everyone was content with the work they were doing. I wanted to ensure we were all finding pleasure in our individual tasks and the overall project. I encouraged everyone to speak up when they had an issue, problem, or misunderstanding. Nothing was off limits. Sharing ideas and feedback was crucial to good teamwork and communication. Me doing my job right was synonymous with problem solving.

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