Gatorbytes - A Free Game for Desktop and Mobile

In early 2024, at my day career, the design team was talking games. We were tasked to come up with ideas, and the team would likely move forward with one between projects and deadlines. This was a group effort of an amazing team, for when we had the extra time to work on it. Jump ahead to late 2025, and we have made a game! The game is on the company's website and is free to play. It is playable on your desktop computer or your preferred mobile device. With the game now live, I wanted to share it with you all. When I think about it, after twenty years working in games, this is the first digital game that I have worked on that was actually completed and usable. First, let's have a look at the game.

Gatorbytes is a vertical jumper where you try to escape rising water, a jumping alligator, while collecting fruit, keys, and more!

Again, I can not stress how much amazing work and talent the team brought to the table for this project. We would not have a completed game without all of us coming together. In the end, the game, music, and sound effects were all created in-house by us. Here is a look at the game menu on the screen. I will circle back around regarding the game stats. 

From the website, you can choose to play the game or look at the game stats.

Now, for my contribution to the project. In the early days of thinking about this project, we as a team talked about some game graphics that were made for our website and how that might be a good jumping-off point for a game. Using the imagery from the graphics, I worked up a limited scope concept. At the time, I wasn't sure if we would ever get off the ground, if it was even possible, and how much time and energy we had available. So in the end, I aimed small with the options to scale up if possible. 

To that end, I planned out a limited area vertical jumper where you moved from platform to platform collecting fruit as you tried to outrun rising water and a leaping alligator. Nothing groundbreaking, but we all have to start somewhere. Using the existing graphic on our site as a starting point, I worked up a series of infographics, sketches, and an animated demo. Here are my super professional sketches that I started with. 

In the end, I always end up on paper at some point in my process to make art.

I quickly made elements in Photoshop for the diagrams and imported them into Adobe Animate (Flash) to create the animated demo. I used Flash for many years, so it was fun to use it again. Here is the breakdown I made for the team to explain my idea and concept.

As you can see from the date on the image, this was taking shape in March 2024.

I used a mix of found and made audio elements to complete the animated demo. My concept and plan were well-received for the most part. There were some that wanted us to go in a more educational direction with the game. I knew this was likely our one chance to make something fun that didn't need to be educational at all. This was for us to have fun and learn with. In the end, my concept was selected, and the team began to work on it. Here is an animated GIF to show a little of the demo I made. I can not share the full demo I made.

It is a bit jumpy and has no sound, but you can get the idea.

At this point, much of the project was out of my hands. I was still involved with working out design concepts and giving feedback on the work being done. The team explored some different options with the presentation of the game, but in the end, we moved back to my original concept and expanded it into an endless jumper. There is no longer an end goal beyond surviving as long as possible and achieving the highest score. Here is a super detailed and professional sketch showing how the spring platform should look and work.

Spring platform goes POW!

It has been a true joy to be a part of this and to watch the team create such a fun game. We haven't reinvented the wheel, but we made something that is ours and reflects the center and the work we do. While the mobile version of the game fills your screen, on the desktop, you get the full experience with 'cabinet art' and instructions. 

I prefer to play on a desktop.

Now it is your turn to play, if you haven't already. There are ways to power up your score, the distance between you and the water, and more. Make sure you collect the fruit to unlock a key, you might find something with a lock that it can open. And always look out for the jumping gater!

Gatorbytes is easy to play, but takes time to master.

While this project might look like all fun and games, the team was actually working on some important work on the back end. The game is actually keeping track of most everything you are doing in the game and is updating the Leaderboard with the high scores and quantifying most of the events in the game and updating those to the website in real time. This was so we could better learn how to link these sorts of things to the courses and projects we usually create. Try to beat the high scores and get your initials up there! You might see some familiar initials on there.

Can you push all of the CABs off the leaderboard?!?

Speaking of real-time updating and tracking, as I mentioned, the game keeps track of most game events. This includes collecting the types of fruit, spring platform usage, times spent doing specific actions, and more. You can see the current numbers in the game stats section of the game.

Can you add to the game states?!?

I could not be happier or prouder of the team's work. As proof of concept and execution, I think it is a phenomenal success. We are already talking about the next game, and I have some ideas I will be sharing with the team very soon. 

That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com