To Slay An Oni
Game Design, Project Management
Roles: Game Designer (Systems, Combat, Enemy Design) · Producer · Narrative & Presentation
To Slay An Oni is a roguelite inspired by Vampire Survivors with a Japanese folklore twist. Players control a ronin navigating waves of yokai monsters, using weapon upgrades and a dash mechanic to survive increasingly challenging encounters.
I worked on designing gameplay systems, balancing progression, coordinating day-to-day development, and handling production tasks, including writing narrative and preparing store pages.
This project was part of my minor course game design & development. In 6 weeks we were to develop and fully release a 2d mobile game on either the app or google play store. In a team of 5 I was the designer for this project. Which besides designing the game also brought with it some extra responsibilities such as taking care of the games release and serving as a project lead within the team.
Gameplay & Systems Design
Designed core upgrade loop: leveling through XP from enemies, choosing between weapon upgrades, health, speed, or regeneration
Built weapon and shrine system: defeating enemies near shrines rewards new unique weapons
Introduced dash mechanic: added player agency, allowing players to manipulate waves, save themselves, and experiment with positioning
Balanced enemies, upgrades, and progression using spreadsheets to ensure challenge and reward scaled appropriately
Developed three boss encounters that reinforced enemy mechanics and player skills:
Boss 1: smashing and charging patterns
Boss 2: combined projectile enemies with new interactions
Boss 3: Raijin, god of thunder, using lightning attacks in a small arena
Boss encounters were particularly satisfying to prototype, the mechanics came together and felt like a complete, polished experience.
Reflection: Even within a limited scope, carefully chosen mechanics can create depth and player expression.
Enemy & Theme Design
Curated enemy roster inspired by japanese yokai folklore, including smashing, chasing, and projectile enemies
Designed enemies to interact with dash and movement mechanics, creating layered challenge
Collaborated with the solo artist through sketches and discussion to ensure readability and thematic cohesion
Maintained mechanical consistency while creating visually distinct and fun monsters
Reflection: Exploring folklore gave me room for creativity while working within mechanical constraints.
Team Leadership & Production
Coordinated day-to-day development, keeping the team aligned with a shared vision
Facilitated theme selection, leading to the choice of a ronin protagonist and yokai enemies
Managed production tasks: presentations, trailers, Google Play Store submission, milestone tracking
Learned to balance developer preferences with gameplay vision, making tough design decisions quickly to not impede development
Discovered how much can be achieved in a short period when the team is aligned and has clear tasks to work on
Reflection: Leading without formal authority was a challenge however I realized I can lead effectively, but positioning myself as a responsible decision-maker early is essential.
Narrative & Presentation
Developed concise narrative content for the ronin protagonist and yokai enemies
Wrote and updated store pages on the Google Play Store and itch.io
Ensured marketing copy reflected gameplay and thematic tone accurately
Coordinated visual assets with narrative content to maintain cohesion
Reflection: Writing narrative and marketing materials helped me see how story and design shape the player’s first impressions and I also learned that this really takes some time to do well.
Key Takeaways
Short, small-team projects can achieve focused and fun gameplay if the vision is clear
A single active mechanic, like the dash, can dramatically expand player agency
Iteration and testing reveal insights that theory alone cannot
I grew significantly in team coordination, leadership, mechanical prototyping, and narrative presentation
© Created by Wout van der Weel
