Broker Breaker: A Very New York Twin-Stick Shooter

About the Project

Broker Breaker is an action-progression PC game targeting casual gamers aged 8 and up. Set in the chaos of Wall Street, players battle through waves of increasingly challenging enemies while managing resources and upgrading their abilities, culminating in an epic boss battle.

Core Gameplay

The game follows a compelling loop where players spawn enemies, battle them, earn points, advance through levels, and ultimately face the final boss. Players must survive increasingly difficult waves while collecting resources and managing their abilities strategically.

Game Features

• Multiple weapon types including red, blue, and white weapons, plus a special area attack ability
• Progressive difficulty system with six distinct stages of enemy spawning
• Experience-based progression system using collectible rats that enhance player abilities
• Three distinct enemy types with unique characteristics and behaviors
• Epic final boss battle featuring special attacks and complex mechanics

Development Process

Enemy Design & Progression

The game features three main enemy types:

• Type 1: Balanced enemies with 100 HP and 0.6 movement speed
• Type 2: Swift enemies with 50 HP and 1.1 movement speed
• Type 3: Tank enemies with 300 HP and 0.3 movement speed
• Final Boss: A formidable opponent with 5000 HP, special charging attacks, and unique mechanics

Art and Visual Design

The game features a detailed pixel art style with carefully crafted visual elements including:

• Character animations for movement, attacks, and weapon changes
• Distinct weapon effects and projectiles
• Environmental assets including buildings, lamp posts, and interactive elements
• Dynamic UI elements showing health, weapons, and experience progress

Playtesting & Iterations

Through multiple playtesting sessions, we refined the game based on player feedback:

Key Improvements

• Enhanced UI with weapon-specific colors and animations
• Balanced rat spawn rates and collection mechanics
• Adjusted enemy spawn rates and player health for better difficulty scaling
• Added visual feedback for cooldowns and collectibles
• Implemented automatic rat collection when in range

Controls & Gameplay

The game features intuitive controls:

• Movement: WASD or arrow keys
• Attack: Automatic firing toward mouse pointer
• Weapon switching: Q or E keys
• Special area attack: Space bar