Team 15 Controller Concept Review

John Stalvey and Zoran Diaz

Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors (https://poncle.games/vampire-survivors) is a roguelike bullet-hell game where players control an automatically attacking character, dodging waves of enemies while collecting power-ups. I chose this game because its simple movement-based mechanics make it an excellent candidate for creative alternative controllers. The game’s core mechanic, surviving against endless hordes, could be enhanced through controllers that emphasize physical immersion, such as sliding, shaking, or gestural inputs. Inspiration for controllers came from gestures like moving a tombstone or physically interacting with objects that appear in the game.

Peer Review Questions:

Do the controller concepts effectively convey the game’s theme?

Would the input methods intuitive and responsive enough for fast-paced gameplay?

Dig Dug

I always loved Dig Dug (https://store.steampowered.com/app/403400/ARCADE_GAME_SERIES_DIG_DUG/) growing up, I thought it was a really unique game for its time, and wanted to show appreciation for it. The game has you digging underground, using a pump to pop enemies before they can reach the surface. For an alternate controller, I always thought it would be satisfying to do the popping yourself, it would feel like you're personally getting rid of these enemies! There's two parts of the inquiry questions that stood out to me. The question about controlling a game with different objects reminded me of Dig Dug's pump, and connecting a controller to a world made me think of going through the tunnels underground, trying to find enemies to pop.

Peer Review Questions:

Do these controller concepts feel authentic to Dig Dug?
Does it look like these attacking methods are satisfying?