AYAH MAHMOUD
DESIGN PORTFOLIO
Rose Runner
Project Overview
Rose Runner is a one-dimensional multiplayer game inspired by the playful rivalry of competing for someone's affection. Two players race to collect roses while stealing them from each other, with the goal of being the first to present six roses to the princess and win her heart.
The project also includes a pair of custom rose-shaped controllers and an accompanying display stand, designed specifically for the game to create a cohesive physical and digital experience. By combining custom hardware with minimalist gameplay, Rose Runner explores how tangible interactions can make simple mechanics feel playful, expressive, and engaging.
Team | Teaching Staff
Lillith Ren | Marcelo Coelho, Sergio Mutis, XDD Dai
Skills
Electronic Design
Game Design
Interface Design
Javascript (P5JS)
Arduino
Prototyping
CAD | Rhino 8
Vibe Coding
3D Printing
Game Constraints
To start the project, there were a few constraints:
I. Games must be constructed on a 1D line.
II. All playable characters must be 1x1 pixels in size
III. Controllers must reflect game play and themes.
Game Design
Game Layout
The game has a simple 8bit layout to stay on theme with the 1D pixel elements. The gameplay path is one pixel in hieght, and 56 pixels across. In the top left and right of the screen, players can see how close they are to collecting x6 roses.
PLAYER 1 ROSE COUNT
WORLD / BACKGROUND
PLAYER 2 ROSE COUNT
ROSE
PLAYER 1
PRINCESS
PLAYER 2
GAMEPLAY PATH
character/object
type
quantity
Player 1
playable character
x1
Player 2
playable character
x1
Princess
computer controlled character
x1
Roses
inventory object / point system
x∞
Game Mechanics
Roses Generate & Players Pick Them Up
Roses generate on random blocks and players have 5 seconds to collect the roses before they disappear. Once collected the roses attach to the left of the character.
Players Can Steal Roses from Other Players
Players can also steal roses from the other players, after which the other player has a 5 second immunity period.
Players With Less than 6 Roses Avoid the Princess
To avoid rejection, players with less than 6 roses must avoid the princess. The princess walks through the garden every 30 seconds.
Winning and Losing Sequences
Player Win Sequence
If a player successfully gives the Princess 6 roses, that player wins! The path lights up yellow with accompanying yellow for a Player 1 win, and blue for a Player 2 win. The winning theme then plays.
Players Lose Sequence
If the Princess enounters a player with less than 6 roses, the Princess (CPU) wins. The path then lights up pink with accompanying roses, and the Princess's theme plays.
Controllers
User Interaction
Left Control
Right Control
Steal Control
The controllers that have three buttons that correlate to actions available to the player: Left, Right, and Steal. The Steal command is on the right edge of the controller. When finished playing, users can attach their controllers magnetically to their stand.
Controller Stand
Inspiration
+
For inspiration, we looked at retro game controllers that also had minimal buttons, such as the Atari CX78+ Gamepad, while encorporating the aesthetics of a rose to relate to the game.
Prototyping
We did multiple rounds of playable cardboard prototypes to gadge comfortable sizes while experiencing the gameplay before moving to a 3D printed prototypes. The first 3D printed prototype made was in a more geometric style, and the backs of the two controllers screwed together for storage.
Prototype Apart
Screwed Together
Electronic Prototyping
I. Breadboard Prototype
II. First Cardboard Prototype
III. Second Cardboard Prototype
IV. Third Cardboard Prototype
3D Modeling
We then 3D modeled each of the controllers and the stands on Rhino and created these diagrams.
Side
Front
Exploded Parts Diagram
Fabrication
I. Powder Printing Controllers
II. FDM Printing Base and Extra Parts
III. Sanding and Spray Painting
IV. Soldering Eletronics
