PLO 4: Collaboration & Team Building

Praziquantel

A local co-op game in which a human and a parasite battle for their respective survival within the same body.
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SUMMARY

A human host and a parasite share one body.Both fight for survival — one seeks health, the other infection.Whoever reaches 100% first wins.When health drops to zero, both perish.There is no true symbiosis.

My Role

  • Role: Co-lead Designer & Systems Designer
  • I worked as the co-lead of the team, collaborating closely with the team lead to define the core concept and structure of the game.

  • My main responsibilities included:
  • Co-developing the game concept and writing the GDD
  • Designing core gameplay systems, especially the parasite system
  • Coordinating team members and distributing tasks
  • Providing direction for UI, visual elements, and system implementation

Collaboration Structure

  • I structured the workflow as follows: first, I defined the key system and design requirements; subsequently, I assigned tasks based on the specific strengths of each team member.

  • Specifically:
  • UI layout and visual design tasks were assigned to the artists;
  • The body status visualization system was designed by me and implemented collaboratively by the team;
  • The core game logic (specifically, the "Game Manager") was broken down into distinct tasks and entrusted to the programmers—myself included—for implementation.
This arrangement enabled the team to work in parallel while ensuring that the overall design direction remained cohesive.

Challenge & Solution

Challenge: Supporting a Non-Experienced UI Artist

One key collaboration challenge was working with a UI artist who had no prior experience in pixel art or game UI design.To support her, I created rough sketches and visual references to clearly communicate layout, style, and functional requirements.Instead of giving abstract feedback, I translated design needs into concrete visual guidance.As a result, she was able to quickly understand the requirements and successfully deliver UI elements such as health bars and interface frames that matched the game’s aesthetic.

Team Contribution & Impact

  • My primary contribution was instrumental in maintaining a clear and unified design direction across various functional disciplines.

  • By deconstructing the system and coordinating specific tasks, I ensured the following:
  • Team members could work efficiently, avoiding confusion and disarray.
  • Visual presentation and gameplay elements remained highly consistent.
  • The project was successfully completed within the strict 48-hour time limit of the Game Jam.

Reflection and Summary

Through this project, I gained a profound realization: effective teamwork involves more than just assigning tasks; it requires tailoring communication methods to meet the specific needs of individual team members.
  • I also took away several key lessons:
  • Translating abstract design concepts into clear, actionable guidelines.
  • Providing appropriate support and mentorship tailored to team members with varying skill levels.
  • Allowing for a degree of flexibility in execution while maintaining a shared team vision.
In future projects, I intend to gather information regarding team members' individual capabilities as early as our initial interaction. This will allow me to assign roles and onboarding processes that are best suited to each person, thereby effectively reducing the time required for subsequent iterations and adjustments.