Jinx - Cooperative Puzzle Game for Two Players

Jinx is a cooperative puzzle game where two players must communicate and collaborate to solve challenges. 

One player navigates a virtual haunted house, while the other interacts with real-world devices to assist them. 

The game was developed in Unity with Arduino-controlled inputs, creating an immersive mix of digital and physical gameplay. 

Problems

Most puzzle games are single-player experiences, but we wanted to design a collaborative one where both players are equally involved. The challenge was ensuring:

  • The puzzles required cooperation, not just parallel play
  • The real-world player had engaging tasks, not just passive observation
  • The communication between the virtual and real world was seamless

My Responsibility

✅ Designed and managed 3D prefabs in Unity to create the virtual haunted house
✅ Integrated sound assets to enhance the spooky atmosphere
✅ Ensured gameplay balance by structuring puzzles for equal collaboration
✅ Helped develop real-time feedback systems for player interaction using Unity & Arduino

Design Process & Iterations

Our design process followed a structured approach with three key milestones, ensuring a smooth transition from concept to a functional prototype. 

  • 1

    Milestone 1 – Core Gameplay & Development Setup

    • Finalized the gameplay mechanics and ensured everyone on the team had a shared vision.
    • Created placeholder art and 3D models for early visualization of the haunted house environment.
    • Began parallel development:

    - Unity: Implemented core interactions for the escapee’s virtual experience.

    - Arduino: Set up basic hardware functionality for the helper’s real-world interactions.

  • 2

    Milestone 2 – Initial Testing & Art Refinement

    • Conducted early internal testing to validate the game flow.
    • Simulated hardware interactions in Unity to prevent development delays due to hardware dependencies.
    • Replaced placeholder elements with refined 3D assets and sound effects, enhancing the spooky atmosphere.
  • 3

    Milestone 3 – Integration & Final Testing

    •  Merged Unity and Arduino systems, ensuring seamless communication between virtual and real-world elements.
    • Conducted final testing to eliminate bugs and prevent unexpected issues during the demo.
  • 4

    User Testing & Feedback

     While formal user testing wasn’t a core part of the process, we presented our prototype as a final course checkout, where users and our instructor praised the game’s immersive design and effective integration of physical and virtual elements. Their positive feedback validated our approach to cooperative puzzle design and real-time interaction mechanics. 

    User testing session
    Step illustration
Emoji icon 1f917.svg

📌 Key Learnings

This project taught me how to balance gameplay between players, integrate real-world interactions with digital elements, and design for seamless communication. 

Submission Successful

The form has been successfully submitted.

Built on Unicorn Platform