Jammed

Jammed is a retro 8-bit-style mini-game project that blends simple arcade mechanics with a nostalgic pixel-art-inspired presentation.

The project was commissioned by Nicholas Koteskey for his decentralized music platform, JAMS. The game, inspired by classic titles like Mega Man and the Super Mario Brothers series, was designed to engage users with a fun, hidden experience triggered by a specific sequence of events within the JAMS app.

My work on the project included the game concept, visual direction, interface design, gameplay feel, sound design, music composition, and overall presentation. Nick provided storycard sketches and character concepts like Jammy and the Raspberry Zombie.

I contributed to the conceptualization of several unique enemy characters, including the blueberry flyers, pineapple bombs, and the final boss, the seed-spitting Evil Watermelon. Additionally, I designed all the sprites, spritesheets, animations, tilesets, and other game assets in pixel art style, including converting Nick’s original storycard sketches into colorful pixel art. I also composed the music and synthesized sound effects to enhance the game’s immersive retro experience.

Using the Phaser JavaScript engine, I programmed the game to integrate seamlessly into the app, ensuring smooth functionality within Nick’s decentralized framework.

As a portfolio piece, Jammed fits into the broader development side of my portfolio, sitting alongside other web and interactive experiments that explore how design, motion, sound, and code can work together in a browser-based experience. It also reflects the same creative through-line found in much of my work; using sound, visuals, timing, and interaction to create a cohesive experience.