Top-down combat
Players use keyboard movement and directional attacks to navigate and fight through the dungeon.
Game · Earlier work
NO BOSS
A playable dungeon escape prototype combining combat, enemy behaviour, and boss encounter design.
A fast-paced 2D top-down action game built with Unity, focused on combat systems, enemy AI, and boss fight design.
- Unity
- C#
- FSM
- Tilemap
- Cinemachine
Overview
NO BOSS is a 2D top-down action game where the player controls a SWAT-style character trying to escape from a dungeon. The project focuses on building a small but complete combat experience with multiple enemy types, a boss fight, and a simple progression loop.
Audience
Designed as a student game development project and portfolio piece for players who enjoy quick action-based gameplay.
The problem
The project aimed to explore how to build a readable and responsive combat loop in Unity while combining enemy AI, level progression, and boss encounter pacing.
- Role
- Solo developer responsible for gameplay programming, enemy behaviour setup, level building, animation transitions, camera integration, and audio implementation.
- Team
- Solo Project
- Period
- 6 weeks
Highlights
- Built a top-down combat system with ranged and melee enemies
- Implemented FSM-based enemy behaviour
- Designed a multi-phase boss fight
- Created the dungeon level using Unity Tilemap
Features
Enemy AI behaviour
Enemies operate through state-based logic, switching between idle, chasing, and attacking behaviours.
Boss encounter
The boss fight includes multiple phases to create a stronger combat rhythm and difficulty curve.
Dungeon level flow
The level was structured to guide the player through combat spaces before reaching the final encounter.
Process
- Designed the gameplay loop and enemy encounter structure
- Built the dungeon scene using Unity Tilemap
- Implemented enemy state transitions and attack logic in C#
- Used Animator for hit feedback and action transitions
- Integrated Cinemachine for camera follow and gameplay framing
- Added sound effects and background music to support pacing
Workflow
The project started from a simple combat prototype, then expanded into a complete gameplay demo with enemy variety, a boss fight, and level progression.
System
The core gameplay system combines player movement, attack logic, enemy state machines, and level flow to create a short but complete action-game experience.
Challenges
- Balancing enemy pressure while keeping combat readable
- Making the player attack feel responsive and clear
- Structuring enemy behaviour so each enemy type felt distinct
Improvements
- Expand player skills and weapon variety
- Improve the direction logic of spinning attacks
- Refine damage feedback when the player is hit repeatedly
Project images
Project video
Open recorded project videoRecorded result
The project resulted in a playable Unity prototype that demonstrates core skills in gameplay programming, enemy AI logic, level setup, and combat encounter design.
Reflection
This project helped strengthen my understanding of action game systems, gameplay iteration, and how to turn a simple prototype into a more complete playable experience.
Next step at the time
Future improvements would include deeper combat mechanics, better visual polish, and more refined enemy balancing.