Project FAK

Project FAK: AI Experiments is a space platform adventure demo. Explore space stations, factories, and cities.

Project FAK is one of my oldest software projects. It was initially started in 2004 back when I was still in middle school, a few years before I had taken any programming classes.

The game is an action platformer where you play as an experimental A.I. controlled spherical robot. The A.I. research lab where the robot is being created attacked causing a glitch to release out the robot with a rudimentary version of its software. As you progress through the levels, you collect data chips to improve your software. Along the way you find various weapon and ability upgrades as well.

The game design followed a metroidvania approach, with hub levels containing multiple paths, some requiring specific abilities. The character could equip different weapons and tools through a quick select menu. Collectable coins were distributed throughout the levels to be used to buy new equipment.

The game was developed using GameMaker (before it was bought by YoYo games). GameMaker provided a solid object-oriented 2D engine full of editors for game assets. Since at the time I had not really learned much programming, the gameplay logic was done mostly using the program’s drag-and-drop visual event scripting. Looking back now, it was extremely tedious, but somehow I managed to build something substantial with it.

Several levels were built using the built-in map editor, but it is not a complete game, with only a few finished levels serving as a demo.

I also did all the art, sound, and music. The pixel art was drawn in the built-in sprite editor and Microsoft Paint. Sounds were created using mda DrumSynth. Music was created with Jeskola Buzz.