Proving the mechanics and level flow
I joined Happy! the Hippo during research and development, working on the mechanics and level-flow proof of concept. My involvement ended at that stage, before the project moved into its production build.
That early work was about making design ideas playable enough to evaluate. The question was how the mechanics and the spaces built around them could work together, and what the team needed to learn before committing to further development.
The game in context
Happy! the Hippo is presented as a retro-inspired 3D platformer collectathon, with momentum-based traversal and an emphasis on exploring levels through different routes. That combination makes the relationship between movement and level layout especially important. The official website and Steam page show the project’s public direction; the work described here is my earlier R&D contribution.
Mechanics need spaces that test them
My role combined content, level, and gameplay design. I worked with art and programming collaborators to bring prototype layouts and mechanics together, then used playtesting to examine how those decisions felt in practice.
Level flow is more than a route through a map. A layout has to communicate where the player can go, support the character’s movement, and make the relationship between spaces understandable. During the proof of concept, those relationships could be explored and revised while the design was still taking shape.
I also contributed tooling around level readability and jump calculations. Those tools supported the same R&D goal: make design decisions easier to examine, discuss, and iterate on with the team.
A focused R&D contribution
The contribution was the mechanics and level-flow proof of concept—not the later production game. I did not continue on the project when it was time to build beyond that stage, and the current public materials should not be read as a list of features or levels I personally delivered.
The R&D engagement ran from January 2021 to October 2023 at Gurbo Games, under the credit Mayples. The work represents a part of technical design I enjoy: turn an idea into something the team can play, learn from the result, and use that evidence to inform what comes next.
UNDER THE HOOD
Architecture & loops
R&D: prove mechanics and level flow
My involvement covered the proof of concept and ended before the production build.
Develop level and gameplay intent
Work through layouts and mechanics with art and programming collaborators.
Build the proof of concept
Bring prototype layouts and mechanics together so their relationship can be evaluated.
Playtest and document observations
Use feedback and reporting to identify what needs to change.
Refine mechanics and level flow
Use the observations to revise the R&D prototype with the team.
The revised proof of concept returns to playtesting during R&D.
My contribution stopped at the mechanics and level-flow proof of concept. I did not continue into the subsequent production build.