Ryan Carpenter // Gameplay Programmer & Technical Artist

Fishy Business

OVERVIEW

// METRICS

Links
Itch.ioGitHub
Engine
GameMaker
My Roles
Team Lead,Gameplay Programmer

Fishy Business was a group project created for a game development class using the GameMaker engine. The project aimed to simulate a professional studio environment, complete with deadlines, regular check-ins, peer evaluations, design documentation, and marketing.

As the group leader and gameplay programmer, I played a pivotal role in bringing the project to life. A snapshot of the project can be found on our itch.io page.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Gameplay
Fishy Business screenshot
Fishy Business screenshot
Fishy Business screenshot
Fishy Business screenshot

Gameplay

Fishy Business is a lively fishing game in which the player can freely explore, fish, sell their catches, and buy new gear. Starting in the "overworld," players explore a small lake area where they can fish and interact with Fisher Frog to sell and buy new gear. Players can upgrade their rod to increase the likelihood of catching rarer fish, improve their line to control tension more easily, and use better bait to raise the fish bite rate. Each fish is unique, with its own rarity and value — the rarer the fish, the more valuable it is to sell.

Functional UI

Intuitive UI for navigating menus and in-game controls.

Overworld

The game is divided into two separate gameplay areas: an "overworld" for exploration, inventory management, and shopping, and a minigame that offers a fun gameplay loop for catching fish.

Fishing Gameplay

Mechanics for rod casting, line reeling, and catching fish. Features fish rarity, rod animations, a tension meter for reeling, and fish AI.

Inventory System

A modular, Minecraft-like system for equipping, swapping, organizing, and selling items, as well as managing fish catches.

Special Fish Behavior

Unique fish behaviors that influence swim speed, lure caution, and tension difficulty.

Shop

A shop where players can purchase items and add them to their inventory.

Custom Artwork

Original tileset artwork and level design created using Aseprite, a pixel art software.

Music and Sound

Sounds found on free websites and mixed.