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Valiantine

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Development span: December 2022 - March 2024 (1.5 yrs)

Project Type

  • Individual

My Roles

  • Director, Programming Lead, Design Lead, Art Lead...

Source Code

Download and Play

Development Log
The battles in Castle Aleyssia are fierce! The woods outside the castle are the game's atmospheric opener. The title screen takes place in a 3D envionment, and moves around based on the buttons you click!

About the Project

Valiantine is a 2.5D pixel art JRPG set in a high-fantasy world styled after the imagery and trappings of Valentine's Day. I hadn't ever heard of a Valentine's Day game, and sought to give it the grounded-yet-whimsical fantasy representation that Christmas has enjoyed in recent years.

Valiantine represents a year and a half of learning everything. I had basic experience with Unity, scripting, and 3D modelling when I started the project, and I wanted to push all of that and more to limits that I'd just keep breaking. I assumed, very correctly, that a JRPG would provide a programming challenge tall enough to whip me into shape.

This is one of my favorites; so many of the other projects on this site came between starting Valiantine and finishing it. It carries the scars of that learning process; having made it, I could certainly now build a JRPG that surpasses it. But that in itself is the gift; I could do all of that again, writing and music and sound and level building and programming and everything else, and do it better. No matter what may come, I stand on this project's shoulders.

Each save point shows you the environment you saved in to help you remember. Opening each chest comes with a Zelda-style turnaround sequence. I wanted to make every room memorable for ease of navigation since the player isn't given a map. Some have unique objects or layouts, and some have engaging camera angles!

Programming Accomplishments

  • Created an original RPG battle system with turn-based combat, individual stats, a buff-debuff system, multi-enemy battles, and levelling
  • Created movement systems for player and enemies to facilitate seamless overworld combat
  • Implemented an inventory with stackable items, consumable items, and equippable items that can interact with overworld elements (chests, gates)
  • Implemented shaders and a unique animation system enabling the 2.5D cutout aesthetic

Other Accomplishments

  • Created all artwork for the game, 2D and 3D, including UI assets, font, and music
  • Responsible for all game design decisions and design implementation (level building, puzzles, etc.)

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© 2024 Andrew Kohler