Capture the Flag

Meet Sam! He works with instructor Mike M. as part of Game-U’s New York Accelerate program. Sam’s been learning how to use Unity, a standard industry gaming engine, to build games of his own. Recently, Sam took on that old, old favorite, Capture the Flag, and created his own three-level digital incarnation. See how he did it!

Traditional Capture the Flag rules are simple: divide into two teams, plant each team’s flag in a defendable section of their territory, and compete to see which team can capture the opposing flag and bring it back to home base first. Sam drew from these rules to create a complicated obstacle course that a single first-person player must run in order to capture the red Game-U flag. Mounted cannons, trap doors, tilting platforms, and long jumps conspire to make each level varied and challenging. As Sam grew more comfortable with Unity, he began reorienting and resizing his shapes to increase the game’s complexity. A trap door floor, for instance, became an actual door by turning the object sideways. At instructor Mike M.’s urging, Sam even added a few Unity primitive shapes to create more path hazards. Sam loved the game so much he spent two lessons building and perfecting all three levels! Watch the video to see his player run through the game and use all his skills to capture the flag.

Great work here, Sam! The fun you had building this level shows in your finished design. Mike M.’s definitely proud of you, and so are we. Keep it up! We’re excited to see where game development takes you!