Project 05 · Game

Big Crusher

A monster truck arena game where every crushed car helps pay for a bigger, stronger truck.

Genre:: Arcade Arena, Hybrid-Casual
Scope:: Game Design · Level Design · Balancing & Economy · Art Direction · Game Feel
Development Time:: 2 Weeks
Team Size:: 3
Tools:: Unity

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Project Resume

Overview

A hybrid-casual monster truck arena game. Players crush cars for cash, feel when the cars get too tough and upgrade their truck, clearing arena after arena in front of a cheering crowd.

Platform Mobile (Android & iOS)
Team Size 3
Duration 2 Weeks
Engine Unity

Key Features

Crush cars to earn cash and clear each arena
A monster truck show with a crowd that cheers every crash
Upgrade the tires, body and fuel of your truck
Unlock bigger trucks with giant tires and more wheels
Fly off ramps and rings of fire onto fields of cars
Cars that dent, burn and explode under the wheels

My Role

Game Designer & Art Director

Owned the game design and art direction, coordinated two programmers, and built the arenas, balance, 3D, VFX and sound.

Made every game design and art direction call
Designed the arenas and balanced upgrades and economy
Set the visual language and built the art in Unity

Design Brief

The studio had a one-page game design for a monster truck arena game, to be built in two weeks as a demo for the publisher Sunday. Everything beyond that page was mine to decide: how the cars break, how the truck grows, how each arena is laid out and how the fantasy of a monster truck show comes across on a phone.

Constraints

Two weeksA complete, playable game from a one-page idea in two weeks.
A publisher demoBuilt for the publisher Sunday to test how it performs on mobile.
A monster truck showArenas where trucks destroy cars while a crowd cheers.
Hybrid-casual depthMore detailed visuals and progression than a typical hyper-casual game.

Design Goal

I wanted the monster truck fantasy to be strong from the first second: giant tires, rings of fire and a crowd going wild. Crushing cars had to feel good under every wheel, and the need to upgrade had to be felt before it was explained. Each arena needed a constant sense of progress, with light cars to start and tough ones that ask for a stronger truck.

From the first crash to the biggest truck

Easy to crush. Hard to stop upgrading.

CrushDrive over cars and turn every crash into cash.
GrowFeel tough cars and upgrade the truck.
ClearClear the arena and open the road to the next.

Player Experience Pillars

A strong fantasyGiant tires, fire and a loud crowd.
Felt firstTough cars show when to upgrade.
Good under every wheelCrushing always feels satisfying.
Constant progressArenas start light and end tough.
A way backRamps help trucks that fall behind.

Design Solution

Each arena is a field of cars placed by hand, with paths to drive through and fire ring ramps that lead to a closed gate at the end. Every wheel deals its own damage, so a well-placed truck crushes several cars at once. Cars are tougher by type and color, and when the truck only rolls over them, the player knows it is time to upgrade. Fuel sends players back to the gas station, the parts shop sells tire, body and fuel upgrades, and bigger trucks with more wheels open the next arenas.

Key Design Choices

Every wheel crushesEach wheel damages the car under it, so one pass can break up to four cars and car spacing matters.
Tougher and tougherEach new kind of car is tougher than the one before, so players feel when their truck starts to fall behind.
Fuel sets the paceThe tank runs out inside the arena, so every run is a race to earn as much cash as possible before refueling.
Rings of fireRamps launch the truck through fire onto the cars below, and the fall hits far harder than driving over them.
Tires, then wheelsEach new truck has bigger tires, and past the largest tire it gains extra wheels, the biggest jump in power.

World & Visual Identity

A monster truck show in a bright, colorful arena built to feel radical. Ramps and rings of fire send the truck flying over fields of cars, giant tires line the track and a packed crowd jumps at every crash. The truck is the star: huge tires, body parts and flames from the exhaust.

Visual Principles

A monster truck showStands, a crowd and fire in every arena.
Bright and colorfulSaturated, toy-like colors for mobile.
Radical arenasRamps and fire rings built for big jumps.
Speed you can seeExhaust flames and camera zoom at full speed.
The tire is the heroGiant tires that grab the eye first.

Results & Learnings

Results

Built in two weeksTook a one-page idea to a complete, playable game in two weeks, owning the game design and art direction and coordinating two programmers.
Every arena by handDesigned and balanced every arena by hand, each with its own mix of car toughness, ramps and paths, tuned against every upgrade.
Real crashes, no lagHand-made damage stages made every crash feel physically real while dozens of cars stayed on screen, at no cost to performance.

Learnings

Let players feel itA truck that only rolls over a car says "upgrade" better than any message. Readable toughness taught the loop without a tutorial.
Fantasy sells the loopGiant tires, fire and a cheering crowd made the same crush-and-upgrade loop feel like a show, and every piece of it did a job in play.
Juice makes it tactileExplosions, fire, squash and stretch and a truck that dances while refueling made crushing feel tactile and kept even the waits fun.

Media

The work, up close

Project gallery · 1

Official trailer

Roles

Roles & Responsibilities

I owned the game design and the art direction, with the studio owner approving, coordinated two programmers and built nearly everything else myself.

Design & Coordination

Made every game design and art direction call in the game
Coordinated two programmers on the game's systems and features
Expanded a one-page idea into the full loop, arenas and progression
Defined how cars break, trucks grow and fuel paces a run

Level Design

Designed every arena and laid out each field of cars by hand
Built paths and spacing so each wheel can crush a different car
Added ramps, high ground, an elevator and a seesaw
Drew the track around each arena to show the way to the end

Balancing & Economy

Balanced the toughness of every car for steady progress per arena
Tested each upgrade in every arena until the pace felt right
Priced upgrades and trucks to fit a truck switch per arena
Set how much cash every car pays and what each upgrade costs

Vehicle Setup & Feel

Split every truck into wheels, suspension and body for the code
Built a prefab for each truck and tuned its parameters by hand
Tuned each truck's force, weight, tire size and tire weight
Tuned the suspension so crushing cars feels good under each wheel

Art Direction

Created the visual language and identity of the whole game
Set the materials, shaders and lighting, approved by the owner
Chose the colors of every truck and every car type in the arena
Kept every truck, tire and arena selling the monster truck fantasy

3D & Materials

Modeled the arenas and adapted the car models from base assets
Modeled several tire designs to make each truck stand out
Created the materials and shaders that give the game its look
Set up the lighting of every arena to fit the visual language

Animation, VFX & Audio

Animated the trucks, the crowd and the refueling feedback
Created every VFX, from exploding cars to flamethrowers
Set up camera shake, zoom and haptics for speed and impact
Made the sound effects and placed each one in the game

Tech Art, Testing & Ads

Set up car deformation in stages to keep performance
Ran the tests and iterations for every arena and upgrade
Defined the in-game economy so the game stays smooth
Planned power-up drops to be unlocked with rewarded ads

Full Case Study

Big Crusher Case Study

Core Loop

Drive into the arena
Crush cars
Earn cash
Feel the limit
Upgrade the truck

The loop is built around one feeling: power that runs out. Inside an arena the truck crushes cars, and every destroyed car turns into cash, the reward that drives everything else. Sooner or later it meets a limit, and the game has two. Fuel sets how long a run lasts, so every run becomes a race for the most valuable cars. The cars themselves get tougher as the arena goes on, until crushing one takes too long. Both limits point to the same answer, the parts shop outside the arena: upgrades turn the cash into power, the truck goes back in stronger and the cars that stopped it now break. The cycle never changes, only its scale, as every new arena asks for more power and every upgrade answers it.

Arena Design

Feature Introduction

Arenas built by hand

Purpose

Each arena is a monster truck show laid out by hand. Fields of cars are lined up to look good and to leave paths to drive through and plan around. The arena has height too: a dirt circuit with side ramps, fire ring ramps, blue ramps to jump over rows of cars and high ground to climb. A destruction bar at the top shows how much is left, and when it fills, the gate opens. The game is linear: curving roads link one arena to the next, so the way is always forward and the progression stays direct. Outside every arena, a gas station refills the tank and a parts shop sells upgrades.

Design Goal

Make every arena feel like a monster truck show
Keep the game linear, so the way forward is always clear
Use ramps to send even a weak truck flying onto the cars
Link arenas with curving roads that let players enjoy the ride

Key Areas

01 Start LineWhere every run begins
02 Gas StationRefuels the truck between runs
03 Parts ShopTire, body and fuel upgrades
04 Car FieldsCars lined up by type and color
05 Linking RoadsCurves that lead to the next arena
06 Fire Ring RampsHeavy damage from above
07 Dirt CircuitSide ramps around the arena
08 High GroundAn elevator and a seesaw to the top
09 Destruction BarShows how much is left to break
10 Arena GateOpens when the bar fills

Feature Breakdown

Car toughness progression

Toughness Progression

Every new car is tougher than the last

The game is linear, and so is toughness. Each arena opens with cars that break almost at once and moves on to tougher ones, and each new arena starts where the last one ended. A new kind of car always looks different from the one before it, so players expect a harder crush, and the same car always breaks the same way.

Role

Paces the whole game, arena by arena

Design Approach

Reasoning

Made every new kind of car tougher than the last
Started each arena light and ended it tough
Kept identical cars at identical toughness
Tied toughness to how heavy each car looks

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

A new car looks different, so players expect a harder crush
Light cars come first, so every arena starts with fast cash
Tough cars resist, so players feel the need to upgrade
Toughness only rises, so players plan the next truck ahead

Feature Breakdown

Ramps and height

Dirt Circuit

Side ramps around the whole arena

A dirt circuit runs around every arena, with ramps along its side. With a dash at the right moment, the truck flies off them and lands on the cars ahead. The circuit also shows the way around the whole arena, and new car types usually sit within reach of a ramp, so players see they pay more and are worth the jump.

Role

Turns the edge of the arena into a launch line

Design Approach

Reasoning

Built a dirt circuit with side ramps around every arena
Tuned the ramps so a dash sends the truck onto the cars ahead
Drew the circuit to lead players around the arena to the gate
Placed new car types within reach of a ramp

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

A dash launches farther, so players time it on every ramp
The circuit shows the way, so players never lose the route
New cars sit near ramps, so players learn they pay more
Landings hit harder, so players line up jumps over dense fields

Fire Ring Ramps

Ramps that launch the truck harder

Ramps with a ring of fire sit along each arena. They launch the truck harder and farther than any other ramp, through the fire and onto the cars below, where the fall hits far harder than driving over them. That makes them a way for a weak truck to keep crushing, and the biggest stunt of the whole show.

Role

Sends the truck flying into the cars

Design Approach

Reasoning

Placed fire ring ramps along every arena
Made them launch the truck harder than other ramps
Made the fall hit far harder than driving over cars
Used the ramps to lead players toward the gate

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

A harder launch, so players aim for the densest fields
A heavy landing, so weak trucks still earn cash
Ramps lead forward, so players always know the way
Every jump is a show, so players look for the next ramp

Blue Ramps

Jump a row of cars, land on the next ramp

Blue ramps raise the ground in parts of every arena, like the ramp-to-ramp jumps of real monster truck shows. The truck jumps over a row of cars and lands on the ramp on the other side, or drops right onto the cars below. In one area, four ramps in the corners all face a center packed with cars, ready for a dive.

Role

Brings the classic show jump into play

Design Approach

Reasoning

Raised parts of the ground with blue ramps in every arena
Set ramps in pairs so the truck can jump a row of cars
Built an area with four corner ramps facing a packed center
Mixed jumps and flat fields so every arena has a rhythm

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Ramps face each other, so players try to clear the row between
Corner ramps face the center, so players dive into the pack
Height changes the route, so players plan where to take off
Jumps feel like a show, so players keep looking for the next

High Ground

Places players must work out how to reach

Raised structures stand in every arena, and reaching them is a small puzzle: an elevator, a seesaw or the right line off a ramp. Up there wait cars worth more, or cars that must break to fill the destruction bar. From the top, a drop breaks even a car too tough for the current upgrades, often in a single hit.

Role

Mixes puzzle and show on top of the arena

Design Approach

Reasoning

Built raised structures in every arena
Made each climb a small puzzle, like a seesaw
Put valuable or needed cars on top
Made a drop from the top break even tough cars

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Climbing is a puzzle, so players work out how to get up
Cars on top pay more, so players go out of their way
A drop breaks tough cars, so weak trucks still progress
The top is a stage, so every climb ends in a big crash

Feature Introduction

Selling the monster truck fantasy

The game is a monster truck show on a phone, and the fantasy had to be strong from the first second. Giant tires, a crowd in the stands and rings of fire come straight from real monster truck arenas, and every one of them also does a job in the game: guiding the route, rescuing weak trucks or rewarding big plays.

The truck is the star of that show. Its tires are giant and grow with every new truck, body upgrades add a rocket, a big light and flamethrowers, and flames burst from the exhaust at full speed. The arena answers with rings of fire that explode as the truck flies through them, so every jump looks like a stunt.

The crowd jumps and cheers when the player does something interesting, and the sound effects land with each crash. Together they turn a simple loop of crushing and upgrading into a show the player is the star of.

Design Principles

Every element of the fantasy also does a job in the game
The truck looks bigger and meaner with every upgrade and every new truck
The crowd rewards the player for playing big
Destruction stays visible, so the arena shows the player's progress

Feature Breakdown

The fantasy, in detail

Rings of Fire

A monster truck cliché that deals heavy damage

Ramps with a ring of fire sit along each arena. The truck builds speed, flies through the fire, the ring explodes and the camera zooms in as the truck lands on the cars below. The fall deals far more damage than driving over them, so the ramp is also a way back for a truck that is too weak for the cars ahead.

Role

Turns the classic stunt into a comeback tool

Design Approach

Reasoning

Placed ramps with rings of fire along each arena
Made the fall deal far more damage than driving over cars
Added an explosion and a camera zoom to every jump
Used the ramps to lead the player toward the arena gate

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Jumps hit harder, so weak trucks still earn cash to upgrade
Each jump is a show, so players look for the next ramp
Ramps lead to the gate, so players always know the way forward
Landings break many cars, so players aim jumps at dense fields

The Crowd

Stands that cheer every big crash

Every arena is surrounded by stands packed with a crowd, like a real monster truck show. The crowd jumps and celebrates when the player does something interesting, so every big crash gets a reaction and the player feels watched and cheered on. The crowd animations were made for this game.

Role

Makes every big play feel celebrated

Design Approach

Reasoning

Surrounded every arena with stands and a crowd
Animated the crowd jumping and cheering in the stands
Triggered celebrations when the player does something big
Kept the crowd in view from the arena floor

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Big crashes get cheered, so players go for the bigger play
The crowd reacts, so players feel their skill is seen
Celebrations mark great moments, so players try to repeat them
The show never stops, so every run feels like an event

Giant Tires

The part every monster truck is known for

In a monster truck, the tire is what catches the eye, so the tires were modeled by hand for the game, in several designs that make each truck stand out. They grow from truck to truck and change color as they get stronger, so the fantasy of a bigger, meaner truck is always in view, right under the player.

Role

Makes power visible at a glance

Design Approach

Reasoning

Modeled several tire designs by hand
Made tires grow from one truck to the next
Gave stronger tires a new color
Made tires the first thing the eye catches

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Big tires stand out, so players feel the truck's power
Tires grow, so each new truck feels like a step up
Color shows strength, so players track their upgrades
Each design is unique, so every truck feels new

Impact

How the arena shapes each run

Optimize

Every wheel crushes on its own, so players steer to fit a different car under each tire and break several cars in one pass.
Race the Tank

The tank empties inside the arena, so every run is a race to crush the most valuable cars before going back to refuel.
Feel the Limit

A new kind of car that the truck only rolls over tells players it is time to upgrade, without the game saying a single word.
Play Big

Ramps turn a drop into a big crash for the crowd, so weak trucks keep earning cash and can push on to the next arena.

Trucks & Upgrades

Feature Introduction

Trucks, upgrades and cash

Every crushed car pays cash, and cash buys power in two ways. Upgrades in the parts shop improve the truck the player already has, with two upgrades each for tires, body and fuel. New trucks are the bigger step: each one is heavier and carries bigger tires, and the largest ones add more wheels.

Every wheel is its own source of damage. A truck crushes the car under each tire, so more wheels and bigger tires break more cars in a single pass. Damage upgrades change the tire color, size upgrades make the tires bigger, and body upgrades add parts, from a rocket on top to flamethrowers at the back.

Upgrades always make a real difference, and when all six reach their top level, the next truck goes on sale. The first arena pays for almost every upgrade of the first truck, so players learn to switch trucks in the next one. After that, when even a maxed truck breaks cars slowly, the answer is a bigger truck or patience.

Design Principles

Every upgrade makes a real difference the player can feel in the very next run, on the truck and on the cars it breaks
Progress shows on the truck itself, so players read it at a glance: tire color and size, body parts and the number of wheels
A maxed truck that slows down against tough cars is the signal to buy a bigger one, with bigger tires or more wheels
The cash from each arena is enough to reach the next one almost ready for it, so players still work a little for the next truck

Feature Breakdown

The truck, part by part

Tires

Destruction, size and power

The tires are where the truck does its damage. Each wheel crushes the car under it and moves on its own suspension, so one pass can break several cars and a wheel can climb a car while the others stay down. Damage upgrades turn the tires a new color, and size upgrades make them truly bigger, to crush more at once.

Role

Turns steering into destruction

Design Approach

Reasoning

Made every wheel deal damage on its own
Gave every wheel its own suspension
Made damage upgrades change the tire color
Made size upgrades grow the real tire

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Each wheel counts, so players fit a car under every tire
Wheels move alone, so the truck rarely gets stuck
Color shows damage, so players read their power
Bigger tires crush more, so players chase the next size

Body

Speed, show and income

The body is the show part of the truck. Speed upgrades make it faster, and each level adds a part that makes it look faster and meaner: a rocket on top, a big light on the roof and, at the top, flamethrowers that fire as it drives. Income lives here too, since a truck that puts on a better show earns more.

Role

Makes the truck faster and the show bigger

Design Approach

Reasoning

Put speed and income together in the body
Added a body part with every speed level
Ended the line with flamethrowers that fire
Tied more cash to a truck with a better show

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Each level shows, so players see the truck get faster
Flamethrowers crown the line, so players push to the top
Income grows, so every crush pays more
A cooler truck, so players feel like the star

Fuel

Capacity and efficiency

Fuel is how long the truck can stay in the arena. Capacity makes the tank bigger, from 100 to 150 for example, and efficiency lowers how much each move burns. Together they decide the length of a run, so fuel is the part players optimize: more time to crush means more cash before the next trip to the gas station.

Role

Sets how long every run lasts

Design Approach

Reasoning

Split fuel into capacity and efficiency
Made capacity grow the tank, 100 to 150 for example
Made efficiency lower the fuel each move burns
Kept the gas station outside every arena

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

A bigger tank, so each run lasts longer
Better efficiency, so every move goes further
Longer runs, so players reach the far cars
Fewer trips, so more time goes to crushing

Feature Breakdown

Upgrades

Tire Upgrades

Increase Damage and Increase Wheel Size

Both tire upgrades work on all four wheels at once. Increase Damage makes every wheel break cars faster and turns the tires a new color, and Increase Wheel Size makes them bigger, with more contact on the cars below. Both were tested against every arena, so a new level arrives about when the cars start to resist.

Role

The upgrade line for destruction

Design Approach

Reasoning

Applied each tire upgrade to all four wheels
Changed the tire color with every damage level
Grew the real tire with every size level
Tested both upgrades against every arena

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Two ways to grow, so players choose their power
Color changes, so players see each level land
Bigger wheels crush more, so dense fields pay more
Levels match the arenas, so upgrades come on time

Body Upgrades

Increase Speed and Increase Income

Increase Speed makes the truck faster and adds a new body part with each level, and Increase Income raises the cash every car pays. Speed shortens the trips between fields of cars and back to the gas station, and income makes every crush worth more, so both turn the same tank of fuel into more cash.

Role

The upgrade line for speed and cash

Design Approach

Reasoning

Paired speed and income in one tab
Added a visible body part with each speed level
Raised the cash per car with each income level
Priced both against the cash of each arena

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Faster trucks, so each tank covers more ground
More cash per car, so upgrades come sooner
Parts appear, so players see every level they buy
Two paths, so players choose speed or cash

Fuel Upgrades

Increase Capacity and Increase Efficiency

Increase Capacity makes the tank bigger, and Increase Efficiency makes each move burn less fuel. They do not break a single car on their own, yet they decide how much a run can earn, so they are the quiet upgrades that make every other one pay off sooner. All six at their top level open the next truck.

Role

The upgrade line for longer runs

Design Approach

Reasoning

Split fuel into capacity and efficiency upgrades
Made capacity add room to the tank
Made efficiency cut the fuel each move burns
Counted fuel among the six upgrades to max

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Longer runs, so each trip earns more cash
Fewer trips, so more time goes to crushing
Quiet gains, so every other upgrade pays off sooner
Six to max, so players finish every tab

Feature Breakdown

New trucks

New Trucks

Bigger tires first, then more wheels

When every upgrade is maxed, the next truck goes on sale, from a small compact car to a muscle car and up. Each one starts with higher base stats, is heavier and carries bigger tires. When the tire reaches its largest size, the next trucks add wheels instead, the biggest jump in power in the whole game.

Role

Gives each new arena a stronger truck to aim for

Design Approach

Reasoning

Made tire size grow from one truck to the next
Added extra wheels once the tire reached its largest size
Made bigger trucks heavier so they break cars more easily
Gave every truck its own color

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Each truck looks stronger, so players know what they are buying
More wheels break more cars, so players chase the next truck
A maxed truck slows down, so players decide when to buy the next
Each new arena needs more power, so players keep upgrading

Impact

How upgrades shape each run

Feel

Every upgrade changes how the truck looks and how fast cars break, so players feel their progress in the very next run.
Plan

Upgrades have a ceiling, so players weigh one more upgrade against saving for a bigger truck to take into the next arena.
Chase

Bigger tires and extra wheels are the biggest jump in power, so players chase the next truck and the arena it unlocks.
Choose

When a maxed truck slows down, players choose between buying a bigger truck and grinding with the one they have.

Visual Feedback

Feature Introduction

Feedback you can feel

Big Crusher runs on juice, and it works on two levels that feed each other. Visual feedback shows what the game is doing: damage on a car, fuel running out, speed and impact. Feeling is what the player gets from it: the weight of a crush, the relief of a car that finally breaks, the fun of a wait that is never boring.

The clearest case is a tough car. Crushing it can take many passes, sometimes ten or more, and each one only dents it a little, so a player could start to wonder if the damage counts at all. Then it catches fire, and the player knows it is almost done. The crush feels earned, and the frustration never arrives.

The same idea runs through the whole game. The truck flashes red as fuel runs low and dances while it refuels, crushed cars burn and explode, cash flies up, the camera shakes and the phone vibrates on every impact, and squash and stretch gives each hit its weight, so no moment of play goes by without a response.

Design Principles

Every action gets a response the player can see and feel
Long actions show progress, so the player never doubts that they count
Waiting is never boring: even refueling becomes a small show, with a truck that flashes green, dances and grows at the gas station
Crushing has to feel right, heavy on light cars and slow but still visible on tough ones, so every single pass feels like it counts

Feature Breakdown

The feedback, in detail

Crush Feel

Heavy on light cars, slow on tough ones

The crush had to feel right under every wheel. The suspension and the force of each truck were tuned so a light car collapses in a satisfying way, while a tough one only gives a little with each pass, and that small give is still visible. Cash rising from each car and tire marks on the dirt close every crush.

Role

Makes the core action feel good every time

Design Approach

Reasoning

Tuned the force of each truck against each car
Tuned the suspension so wheels sink into the cars
Made tough cars give a little with every pass
Added rising cash and tire marks to every crush

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Light cars collapse, so the first crushes feel great
Tough cars give a little, so players know it counts
Cash rises, so every crush feels like a reward
The feel changes with power, so upgrades are felt

Crushed Cars

Dents, smoke and fire before the explosion

Every car shows the damage it takes. It dents, then smokes, then catches fire, then turns black and flat as paper, its wheels flying off. Then it explodes and disappears, and only then does it count. The fire tells players a car is almost done. Behind it, each car moves through stages of deformation.

Role

Shows every hit and the destruction left behind

Design Approach

Reasoning

Created damage stages for every car in the arena
Showed each stage with dents, smoke, fire and a black wreck
Made the wheels fly off and the car explode at the end
Counted a car as destroyed only when it disappears

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Fire warns a car is close, so players finish it before moving on
Each stage reads clearly, so players see their damage land
Explosions pay off, so players chase the biggest chain of crashes
Wheels fly and cars burn, so every pass feels like a show

Fuel Feedback

A warning in red, a refuel in green

Fuel never runs out by surprise in the middle of a run. In the last ten points of the tank the truck body starts to flash red, and at zero it turns fully red. At the gas station it flashes green, dances and grows while it refuels, with effects all around it, so a moment that could feel like a pause becomes part of the show.

Role

Turns a limit into a moment of play

Design Approach

Reasoning

Made the body flash red in the last ten points of fuel
Turned the truck fully red at zero
Made the truck dance and grow while refueling
Added effects around the truck at the gas station

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

A red warning, so players head back in time
A fully red truck, so players know why it slowed
A dancing refuel, so the wait never feels boring
Clear fuel states, so players plan each run

Speed & Impact

Flames, camera and vibration

As the truck gets faster, flames start to come out of the exhaust to show its speed. The camera zooms with the speed and shakes on impact, and the phone vibrates with each crash, borrowing the effects that make racing games feel fast. Body upgrades add flamethrowers at the back that fire while the truck drives.

Role

Makes speed and weight felt on a small screen

Design Approach

Reasoning

Added exhaust flames that appear as the truck speeds up
Tied camera zoom to the speed of the truck
Added camera shake and haptics on every impact
Borrowed speed effects from racing games

Player Impact

Decisions enabled

Speed is visible, so players push the truck to see the flames
Impacts are felt, so players aim for the heaviest crashes
Feedback confirms every hit, so players know when damage lands
Driving fast feels good, so players keep moving through the arena

Design Iterations

01 Damage Stages

Problem

Real-time deformation was too heavy for a field of cars

Each arena holds a large number of cars, and deforming every one of them in real time, exactly where each wheel passed, hurt performance on the phone. The more cars a player crushed at once, the worse it got.

Cause

Every car was calculating its own deformation at once

Real-time deformation runs for every car being hit, and with several wheels crushing several cars at once, the cost added up fast.

Solution

Built crushed states for every car by hand

Created the crushed states of every car by hand, like frames of an animation, in one prefab per car. Every wheel adds damage, and when a car reaches the damage of a state, it moves on to the next one, until it explodes.

Modeled the crushed states of every car by hand
Set up one prefab per car holding all its states
Moved a car to its next state as damage added up

Result

Crashes felt real and the game ran smooth

Testing the game, the crashes looked extremely real, even with deformation by stages. Whole fields of cars stayed on screen at once, without the cost of real-time deformation on the phone.

Fields of cars stayed on screen at once
Crushing still felt physical in every test
Damage became easy to read, stage by stage

02 Boost Ramps

Problem

Players who skipped upgrades slowed down in the next arena

Some players tried their luck: no upgrades, crushing cars the hard way. In the next arena the cars were much heavier, and their weak truck could only dent them slowly. They were never stuck, but the run turned slow and dull.

Cause

Toughness rises every arena, and the truck did not keep up

Each arena is balanced to ask for upgrades. A player who skips them reaches cars that a weak truck can barely dent, and the cash stops coming.

Solution

Added boost ramps that throw the truck onto the cars

Placed ramps that give the truck a burst of speed and throw it up onto the cars ahead. The landing deals far more damage than driving over them, enough to break even the tougher cars, and each jump plays like a stunt of the show.

Placed boost ramps in parts of every arena
Gave the truck a burst of speed on each ramp
Made the landing deal far more damage

Result

Weak trucks kept earning from every jump

A player who arrives too weak still earns cash from the ramps and can upgrade when they need or want to. The ramps also became the most spectacular moment of the game, and its biggest stunt.

No arena becomes a dead end for a weak truck
Players earn their way back to upgrading
The classic stunt became part of the design

03 Upgrade Pacing

Problem

Upgrades and new trucks had to be discovered

Upgrades had to make a real difference, and players also had to discover that they could buy new trucks, all inside a short demo. A player who never found the next truck would miss the biggest jump in power.

Cause

Nothing pushed players from one truck to the next

A player could keep grinding with the first truck and never learn that bigger trucks, with bigger tires and more wheels, change the game.

Solution

Tuned the first arena to lead into a truck switch

Made a new truck unlock once the current one is fully upgraded, and balanced the first arena to pay for almost every upgrade of the first truck, so the switch happens in the next arena. The UI also shows the switch.

Unlocked the next truck once the current one is fully upgraded
Paid for almost every upgrade of the first truck in the first arena
Tested every upgrade against every arena

Result

Players learned to upgrade and to look for a bigger truck

The first two arenas teach the whole progression: upgrade until the truck is maxed, then switch to a bigger one. From then on the rhythm repeats on its own: a slow maxed truck tells players it is time for the next.

Players upgraded the first truck almost to the top
The second arena became the place to switch trucks
A slow maxed truck became the sign to move up

04 The Dash

Problem

An empty tank left the truck crawling across the arena

Without fuel the truck slows down, and getting back to the gas station, or to the next field of cars, took too long and broke the pace of the run. The ramps also asked for more reach than driving alone could give.

Cause

Speed came only from driving, with no way to push harder

The truck's speed depended on the throttle and the fuel, so a slow truck had no answer and a jump could only go as far as the approach allowed.

Solution

Added a short dash the player can trigger at any time

Gave the truck a short dash forward, about the length of the truck, that the player can use at any time. It helps a slow truck move, helps break cars, and pressed on a ramp it sends the truck much farther.

Added a short dash forward, about one truck length
Made the dash help break cars on contact
Made a dash on a ramp send the truck much farther

Result

Slow moments shrank; ramps became launches

An empty tank no longer stops the run, and ramps became tools: players time the dash to fly onto cars they could not reach before, including the high ground and the tough cars waiting below it.

A slow truck can still reach the gas station
Players time the dash on every ramp
High ground and far cars came within reach

05 Independent Wheels

Problem

A rigid truck crushed like a single block

With the truck moving as one rigid piece, a car under one wheel lifted the whole body. The crush felt stiff, damage came from the truck as a whole, and the truck could get caught on the cars it was meant to crush.

Cause

Wheels, damage and suspension worked as one

Damage and movement were set for the whole vehicle, so a single wheel could not react to the car under it or crush it on its own.

Solution

Gave every wheel its own suspension and damage

Split the truck so each wheel moves on its own suspension and deals its own damage. A wheel that climbs a car rises alone while the others stay down, and every wheel breaks the car it passes over, up to four cars in one pass.

Gave every wheel its own suspension
Made every wheel deal damage on its own
Tuned the suspension to sink into the cars

Result

Crushing looked real and the truck kept moving

One wheel climbing a car while the rest stay down sold the monster truck fantasy, the truck stopped getting caught on the cars, and players started steering to fit a car under every tire.

The truck rarely got caught on cars
Each wheel sold the monster truck feel
Players steered to crush several cars

06 Tire Size Range

Problem

Bigger tires stopped fitting the trucks

Truck bodies stayed about the same size, and a truck grew through its tires. Scaling the tires up from truck to truck made them clash with the body, and trucks with many wheels, like the limousine, ran out of room.

Cause

Tire size had no limits and no room to grow

Nothing set how small or how big a tire could be on each truck, and the wheels stayed at the same place on the body even as they grew.

Solution

Set a tire size range and moved the wheels out

Documented the smallest and the largest tire that could fit every truck, and set up the wheel mounts to move outward as the tires grow, so bigger wheels, even the eight of the limousine, always have room.

Set a minimum and a maximum tire size
Made wheel mounts move out as tires grow
Tested the range on every truck

Result

Tires grew with every truck and still fit

Tire size became a reliable way to show power at a glance: every truck could carry bigger tires without breaking its shape, and trucks with extra wheels kept the same bold monster truck look.

Every tire size fit every truck
Extra wheels found room on the body
Tire size became the sign of power

Conclusion

Design Conclusions

Big Crusher is where I really got a grasp of feel. I made all the juice: the VFX of fire, speed and explosions, squash and stretch, a truck that dances while it refuels so waiting is never boring, and the tuning of every crush, so a light car collapses and a tough one barely gives.

It was also the first game where I coordinated the team's programmers, and took on a more active leadership role at the studio. I worked closely with physics to make the movement feel good, and learned that visual feedback and what the player feels are two sides of the same juice.

Design Takeaways

Feel before rules

A truck that stops breaking cars says upgrade better than any tutorial, and crushing had to feel good first. That feel came from tuning every crush and from the juice around it.
Fantasy with a job

Every piece of the monster truck fantasy also did a job: the ramps rescued weak trucks, the crowd rewarded big plays and the flames showed speed on a small screen.
Constraints shape the design

Two weeks and a phone's performance set the limits, and they pushed better solutions. Hand-made damage states kept the crashes real and the game light, and left room to be creative.

Next project

My Zombie World