X Out
Point-and-Click Narrative
Producer; Programmer
Jan 2024
Tools Used:
Unity, GIMP, Git, Trello
Background: This is a small team project developed for the UGD x Careers Winter Game Jam 2024 at the University of Chicago.
THE PROJECT
X Out was developed for a game jam whose theme was “X within an X,” and our team’s idea for the gameplay stemmed from a literal and figurative interpretation of this theme. X Out simulates a computer operating system with pop-up windows, inside of the game window within the player’s own computer operating system. Many of these pop-ups are nested, expanding upon the idea of “windows within windows.” Further, the game puts a playful spin on the phrasing of this theme, as the main gameplay mechanic is clicking the “X” button to close out of pop-up windows, and eventually, the game itself. The game features a number of pop-up ads, surveys, email scams, and other types of "trashy" content, interspersed with error messages and communication from the fictitious virus that is causing the windows to appear. We threw around lots of ideas for different minigames and other OS-related windows that could appear during the game progression, but being limited by the 72-hour timeline, we ultimately ended up with a point-and-click game. That being said, the narrative is still cohesive and engaging, so this switch in functionality was a good change that helped with scoping.
The "trashy" pop-up windows in X Out include ads, surveys, prize wheels, and more, with several often appearing at once.
THE PROCESS
As one of the primary programmers on our jam team, I was responsible for implementing many of the game’s core systems, such as the ability to spawn pop-up windows in sequence. There were also a number of different types of windows which had to be developed with specific functionalities in mind, such as windows that allow multiple things to be clicked on or prize wheels that could be spun. While these different types of interactive content have little effect on the game’s narrative flow, this was an intentional choice—rather, they exist to make the experience of using the “computer within a computer” feel more immersive for the player.
I also took on a large portion of the production work for X Out, keeping track of tasks between our programming and art teams and organizing visual and audio assets. Our team used tools such as Git and Trello for version control and project management, and I was in charge of ensuring these systems were being kept up to date, accurately displaying our progress. As is often the case with games made for game jams, we had a long list of "wishlist" features that we would have loved to implement with more time, so keeping track of these ideas and choosing which ones to implement during the last hours of the jam was a critical responsibility.
In the "boss fight" portion of the game, the player must click a button to install antivirus before the virus can block the window with an error message.
THE RESULT
This project was both a personal and team success in many ways. It was my first time participating in an official game jam, as well as the greatest amount of leadership and contribution I have had in a team game project. In spite of a winter storm and a sick team member, our team produced the game we wanted to make, with a creative narrative that fits the theme while being charming and engaging. Our game received an honorable mention in the awards ceremony for the jam. You can download X Out for Windows from itch.io below.
The ending of X Out pops the game into windowed mode and asks the player to click one final X button—the one that closes the game.