Spirit Fencer Arena
2013 · Producer / Developer · shipped
The mobile version of Spirit Fencer, rebuilt in Unity with 3D characters and real-time multiplayer between iOS and Android. Released in 2013 with YubiGames.
Technologies: C#, Unity, WebSockets, 3ds Max
Related expertise: Multi-user & real-time systems, Unity, 3D Content Pipeline
Overview
Spirit Fencer Arena is the mobile version of Spirit Fencer. It kept the real-time puzzle combat and added 3D animated characters, new visual effects and online multiplayer: players could battle each other across iOS and Android, level up and join tournaments.
Background
After Spirit Fencer's success, I closed a deal with the publisher YubiGames to make a mobile version. I hired the 2D and 3D artists, adapted the design to mobile and ran the production, which took about 18 months.
I also led development in Unity. Unity had no multiplayer library back then, so I wrote my own: a C# server over WebSockets that handled connections and matchmaking, and acted as the authority on game events. So the first players would always have someone to fight, I ran headless copies of the game around the clock, with bots playing the opponents.
It was my first big Unity project and my first real-time multiplayer game. I used what I learned from both for years afterwards.
Awards and nominations
- Nominated — Audience Choice Award, Games National Awards. Art and Interactive Science Academy. Barcelona, 2013.
- Nominated — Audience Choice Award, Indie Burger Developer Awards. Barcelona, 2013.
My involvement
- Negotiated the production and publishing deal with YubiGames.
- Designed the mobile version and wrote the game spec.
- Owned end-to-end production: implementation plan, phasing and oversight.
- Built the multiplayer engine from scratch.
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