G / C
ALLFREDONE
GENRE
Local co-op, puzzle
ENGINE
Unity (C#)
ROLE
Game designer, level designer, game programmer.
TEAM SIZE
4
ITCH.IO PROFILE
GAME STATUS
Prototype
DOCUMENTS
GOALS
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Real cooperation, not just task division
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Shared, binding progression system
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Light, comedic tone, without sacrificing strategic depth
AllfredOne is an isometric co-op puzzle game: two clones must complete tasks for their extremely lazy creator, gaining abilities only through a shared stat system.
game
MY CONTRIBUTION
The project stems from an original idea of mine, first developed with a university team, then redesigned independently in the version documented in the current GDD.
Among the most significant contributions:
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Shared Stat System
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Result: mechanics that prevent the "one-man-army" effect and force constant dialogue between players.
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Problem: turning stats — inherently an individual mechanic — into a tool for genuine cooperation, avoiding two single-player experiences played in parallel.
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Solution: a shared, limited point pool (2 per stat), distributable only through a single menu with exclusive access, where every choice one player makes becomes a constraint for the other.
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Stats as Collaborative Mechanics
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Result: cooperation stops living only in the point-distribution phase and becomes a constant, moment-to-moment action.
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Problem: making sure that using stats — not just distributing them — also required real joint action.
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Solution: each stat changes its nature (not just its intensity) depending on whether it's used by one or both players — e.g. Strength moves objects alone, rotates them in two; Intelligence activates single switches or remote combinations — reinforced by the level design itself.
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Solo-Phase Mechanics Redesign
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Result: reduced cognitive load, more usable, dynamic gameplay with higher player interaction.
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Problem: evolving the university prototype into a more solid, readable, highly interactive system.
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Solution: revision and rebalancing of stat points, the number of stats, and their effect when shared by two players.
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Level Design Showcase
Level 1 — AllfredOne's House (Tutorial)
Level goal: teach the four base stats (Strength, Intelligence, Agility, Size) through action rather than explanatory text, keeping the comedic pace of the narrative opening.
Framework and references: an "isolated-problem onboarding" structure typical of co-op puzzle games (Human: Fall Flat, It Takes Two) — each new mechanic is introduced in a contained space before being combined with the others.
Main beats:
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Entering the house through a pipe (introduces Size)
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Opening the garage with a double switch (introduces Intelligence)
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Building a "ladder" out of movable furniture (introduces Strength and Agility in combination)
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Cooperative rotation of the box to pull it out of the room (introduces two-player interaction)
Level 2 — Post Office
Level goal: move players from guided learning to environment-guided learning, introducing two more technical mechanics (timed switch, piston) without the support of explicit dialogue.
Framework and references: "environmental" design in the style of Death's Door / God of War Ragnarok, where signage, NPCs, and spatial composition replace the text tutorial.
Main beats:
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Gathering information from an NPC (reinforces exploration as a tool for progression)
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Double door with combined local/remote activation (introduces remote cooperation)
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Timed platform in the warehouse (introduces time pressure)
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Faulty piston to force manually (introduces an object with movement constraints)
Level 3 — Complaints Office
Level goal: break the horizontal structure seen up to this point with a vertical 3D puzzle, increasing spatial complexity without introducing new stats.
Framework and references: an explicit nod to the classic arcade game Q*bert, reinterpreted in a co-op key with the addition of elevators and pressure panels that respond to weight inversely.
Main beats:
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Repositioning and rotating the initial ramp
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Crossing a narrow area to reach a hidden elevator
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Cooperatively carrying a piston-box across multiple floors via elevators
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An "inverse" pressure panel (more weight = less height) as the mechanic's final twist
