Overview
We created Endless Protocol for project one in our introductory to game design & development ITCS-4230 course at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Endless Protocol is a 2D action sci-fi shoot-em-up game featuring original art assets, design, and more.
Endless Protocol
Story
Players control an agent assigned to infiltrate a scientific facility on another planet where a failed experiment has warped the fabric of space. The player fights against an increasing amount of robotic enemies, and the goal is to survive the full 20 minutes needed for the restoration sequence to finish.
Platforms: Windows PC
Finished: March 13, 2024
Team Size: 4
Duration: 40 days
Engine: GameMaker
Language: GML
Role: Lead Creator (Producer, Designer, Programmer)
Available on itch.io for Windows: https://jacob10jarrett.itch.io/endless-protocol
Trailer (Created by me)
Main Menu (Background and logo were drawn by me and created in Adobe Photoshop)
Dialogue System
Opening Cutscene
Player movement + UI + particle effects
UI/UX Design: Created all in-game UI, including title, win/lose, settings, and credits screens; drew title screen art and designed UI icons (dialogue box, reticle, spaceship, back arrow).
Art & Assets: Illustrated sprites for dialogue, HUD elements, and in-game objects.
Narrative & Presentation: Wrote the story and all dialogue, coded and designed the mission brief dialogue segment, scripted and implemented the opening cutscene, and produced the official game trailer.
Audio Integration: Sourced royalty-free music, implemented adaptive audio systems, and ensured proper playback throughout the game.
Project Coordination: Managed communication among teammates and the GitHub repository, oversaw version control, and ensured we hit project deadlines.
What I Created:
Gameplay Systems: Built the enemy AI, player dash ability, realistic player movement, and randomized spawn system.
AI System
Using a grid system, the AI-controlled enemies will determine the closest path to the player and find if there is an obstacle in the path. If there is, they will find an alternate route. Enemies also know not to get too close to any walls/obstacles so they don’t get stuck.
Before
After
Level Design
Designed for readability and replay: a clear critical path with optional loops and pacing pockets, built around a 20-minute survival objective as AI enemies pathfind around obstacles; created with the dash ability in mind to encourage route choices.
Level Design: Designed and built the entire facility layout, balancing pacing, encounters, and navigation.
What I Learned
Creating Endless Protocol allowed me to design a game with a strong focus on gameplay and mechanics, transforming a paper sketch into a fully playable combat space under tight deadlines. Over 40 days, I led a four-person team, managed the GitHub repository, and assumed multiple roles—producer, designer, and programmer—requiring effective scope control and clear communication.
In GameMaker (GML), I implemented a grid-based enemy AI that navigates around obstacles without snagging, created a responsive player dash mechanic, and built the core systems for a 20-minute survival objective. I owned the level layout, UI, and moment-to-moment pacing, then tied it together with a title screen, cutscene, dialogue, music integration, and win/lose flows.
Shipping to Windows and producing the trailer gave me an end-to-end experience, from design and implementation through final balancing and presentation. This process sharpened my instincts for encounter tuning, visual readability, and production discipline under real-world constraints.
Copyright © Jacob Jarrett 2024