To the Top
To the Top | Official Tralier
To the Top | What is it?
To the Top is a 2D punishing platformer rage-game designed and developed by Cole “MacheneDog” Miller. To the Top takes inspiration from other rage-games such as "Getting Over It” and “Jump King” in its approach to design and gameplay, but incorporates a short narrative like no other in the genre.
The main gameplay of the game consists of the player launching themselves in one direction by aiming their mouse and charging up their jump, trying to climb to the top of a mountain. There are no checkpoints and the game saves as the player plays, meaning any backwards progress is saved for the player.
It features calming piano music and a simplistic pixel style, juxtaposed to its anger-inducing nature. The average playtime of the game is around 2-5 hours for completion. To the Top is not made for the faint of heart. Unrelenting and unyielding in its punishing philosophy, this game is meant to be a challenge.
To the Top | Solo Development Process
After graduation, I was unsure where my career was going to go. I took some time to figure out my personal life first, and then, after the summer was over, I decided that I was going to work on a personal project and release it to Steam, something I had never done before. While working my regular job as well, I started production on “To the Top” in late September of 2022 and ended production in mid-December of 2022. The game was released to Steam on December 28th, 2022.
While this game is simplistic, with only one key mechanic that the player needs to master, I worked hard to make sure it was a product that functioned exactly as advertised with little to no bugs. I tested it personally for many hours, fine-tuning the feel of the game, while also outsourcing playtesting to a small group of friends and family members. I wanted this game to feature a little of everything in my repertoire of skills. I programmed, designed, sound engineered, voice acted, wrote, and created the art for this game. Every aspect of the game was something that I had created myself. As I have done in many past games, I felt it was important as an aspiring designer to push myself to understand the different perspectives of each department by creating work from each one myself. While the end product was far from a perfect game, I grew leaps and bounds through this process.
The most difficult part of creating a game alone is maintaining a schedule and thinking creatively. It can be difficult getting caught up in your own perspective, and I found that consultation with friends and others who regularly play games helped me maintain quality and find new inspiration. Staying on track to create the game by the end of the year was challenging, but as I continued to create the game, I found it became much easier and less daunting of a task. While I still have a long ways to go, this game showcases my ability to create a working product that has a unique identity.
To the Top | Download
Click here or the image below to download on Steam for free today!
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