Click to see the playable page
A Revenge From a Dung Beetle...
Game Overview
Dungball Domination is a creative action game developed for Ludum Dare 56 Game Jam (theme: Tiny Creature). You play as a dung beetle, rolling dung balls to cover the farm ground, dodging angry animals and the farmer’s feet. It’s a humorous revenge story set in a vibrant, cartoonish micro-world.
My Contribution
Game Design,
Level Design,
UI Design
Background Story
The story begins with a dung beetle resting comfortably on its prized dung ball. Suddenly, a giant foot stomps down and crushes the ball to pieces. Furious, the dung beetle follows the trail of the mysterious foot into a farm. There, it discovers a land full of animals—each producing plenty of fresh dung. Inspired by revenge, the beetle hatches a plan: it will cover the entire farm with animal dung, driving the careless farmer who destroyed its beloved ball absolutely mad!
Gameplay Design
Our team considered many “tiny creature” scenarios and eventually settled on the dung beetle revenge concept. Players must cover as much ground as possible with dung while avoiding threats—creating an engaging, challenging experience.
Team Brainstorm
Level Design
I was responsible for the level structure, placing obstacles, and animal patrol paths. The map balances tension and exploration, encouraging creative strategy and quick decision-making.
In addition, I designed two extra level maps. Although they weren’t used in this version, I arranged the obstacles to create a maze-like experience, making the game more interesting and challenging.
UI/UX Design
I created all the game’s UI screens, including main menu buttons, progress bars, tutorial panels, and victory/defeat popups. The UI is designed to be simple and visually consistent, giving players instant feedback and helping them stay focused on the game’s goals.
Teamwork & Technical Process
This project was a true team effort, requiring tight collaboration between game design, art, programming, and sound. I worked closely with other team members to unify gameplay ideas, level structure, and UI implementation. We iteratively tested and refined game mechanics for the best player experience.
Character Design and Dung Ball Design
We used Blender to model the dung beetle and created animations using Blender’s rigging system. To better fit the theme of the competition, we used giant animal legs to emphasize how small the main character is in comparison.
We also spent a lot of time designing the dung ball. We tried many different shapes and effects for the poop. We ultimately chose the colorful poop, the colorful smearing effect, and the corresponding special splashing effect.
Environment Art
We dedicated ourselves to thoroughly modeling the entire scene. We chose a low poly aesthetic to create a simple yet engaging visual style that captures the essence of our game.
Moreover, we designed unique legs for different animals, adding diversity and detail to the scene. Each animal’s leg design was meticulously crafted to ensure it reflected their characteristics, thereby enhancing the visual interest of the game.
Reflection
Dungball Domination gave me valuable experience in taking a creative idea from concept to full implementation under time pressure. I improved my level structuring and UI efficiency, and enjoyed seeing the game receive positive feedback from both players and reviewers.
Click to see the playable page
