Project Summary
The Goal of this project is to take some of the best mechanics & aesthetics across the basketball game genre and implement iterations of them into an intuitive, replay-able, eye-catching 2D package with gameplay worth mastering.
This project uses a top-down 2.5D angled perspective, and will be built using Godot 4.
It takes inspiration from the dribbling/shot/contest systems of NBA 2K, the art direction of Hoop Land, the style point and GameBreaker systems of NBA Street Vol. 2, the innovative game rules of NBA Ballers: Phenom, and other titles that have been influential to me throughout my life.
In the most ambitious, long-term version of the idea, it exists with modes scaling up from 1v1 all the way to 5v5, a 2-branch career mode, full suite of player archetypes, player badges, courts, and replay-ability signals beyond the core loop. I want it to end up being a full experience, not just a simple arcade game.
It's a project that aims for minimalist artistic design, with deep, modern-feeling mechanics. It houses an arcade style while simultaneously rewarding genuine skill, timing, and basketball IQ, and punishing button-mashing. It seeks to blend the nuanced move-sets of modern sim-style basketball games with the more fanciful, fast-paced streetball fun of arcade-style titles.
Important Details
It's worth noting that this will be my first game, and while I have been interested in developing games for quite a while, this is still a pretty fresh idea. It isn't something I've been developing for years, and its shape may definitely change throughout its life. I'm looking for people who are comfortable genuinely contributing to the vision & creative direction, and working on a project that will be built in increments (to fight scope-creep), from a base-level demo here on itch, to pay-what-you-want versions with more features, all the way up to a possible Steam release later on.
Revenue Split
This project will operate under an even revenue-split structure. Keep in mind that this includes the later addition of at least one other team member to work on music & SFX/sound design, which means it'll likely end up being an even split between 4 or 5.
Time Commitment
Time commitment is pretty casual, but I do expect a decent level of buy-in to the project. I want to consistently work on it, not to regularly go weeks without communicating or making some form of progress, no matter how small. I'm also very mindful of burnout and don't want the life cycle of this project to be 'honeymoon phase' to 'disbanded because the excitement wore off.' I want to genuinely see this through.
You Can Reach Me At:
marcy_933 on Discord
What to Send Me
If you're interested, I'd love to hear why, any relevant experience you bring to the project, and how you believe your vision could contribute. If you have any art or code samples, a portfolio, or a GitHub link, that'd be amazing!
Roles
My Role:
Creative/Design Direction while providing a life full of experience playing arcade/sim-style basketball games, and the genuine desire to put together a true love letter to the genre.
Your Role:
Programmer
- Develop 2v2+ team modes
- Build the campaign/meta-progression layer
- Add more player archetypes
- Develop player badges/special skills
- Eventually move the attribute system onto a proper resource-based structure
- Full single-player feature suite
- (Optional) Implement online multiplayer features later down the line, once the single player core of the game is finished
I would prefer someone who'd be comfortable working off of the prototype listed below, but if you'd rather work from scratch, I understand.
Pixel Artist
- Core deliverable here is character sprite sheets covering various animations (idle, move, multiple shot types, multiple dribble moves, left/right layups, hands up defense, landing/recovery, block, steal)
- (Optional) Court/environment art, HUD/UI polish, distinct player characters per archetype
Prototype
I'm going to be honest upfront, I vibe-coded a small 1v1 prototype of this idea, and doing things that way just felt.. icky. I would much rather work with people who believe in the vision and want to work on it together over the course of an actual development cycle, not to collaborate with a machine.
Built in Godot 4.6
That prototype includes:
- a full 1v1 core loop with movement, a dynamic shot meter that updates live based on contests, range, shot type, attributes, etc., a layup shot type, hop-shots, and moving shots.
- A dribbling system (crossover, between the legs, behind the back, both stationary and moving, plus a launch mechanic for blowing by defenders)
- Defense with three stances: guard, sprint-guard, and hands up. Proximity + Alignment contest model, skill-based steals, rim protection with blocks
- Six attribute ratings on a 1-20 scale, wired into already existing gameplay systems (shooting, range, handle, speed, perimeter defense, rim protection)
- Two balanced player archetypes
- An archetype select screen
- Game rules: 16-second shot clock, three-point line with clear-ball rule on possession change, rim physics, shooter recovery window after shots
- An AI opponent with identical offensive/defensive toolkit as human players that picks shots by value without a fixed script
- Automated test suite that drives the game scene headlessly
What's NOT built at all:
- Character art
- Environmental art
- Audio (SFX, Music, etc.)
- A larger archetype roster
- Team modes (2v2 up through 5v5)
- Meta-progression (Career campaign, manager hub, badges, alternate game modes/win conditions, 1v1v1 mode)