Stumble Cars
A chaotic knockout racer where precision driving meets “oops I’m flying” energy. Role - Lead Game DesignerOverview
Stumble Cars is a racing game for 13–18 year olds built around short, competitive obstacle-course rounds. Players race through increasingly difficult tracks in a 3-round knockout format—survive the chaos, outdrive the pack, and be the first to reach the finish.
Key Features
- Physics-Based Chaos: Slippery-but-controllable handling that’s fun at low skill, but rewards mastery—plus upgrades that meaningfully improve performance.
- Difficulty-based track pool: 15+ tracks that surface dynamically based on round difficulty, keeping runs fresh and pacing tight.
- Social multiplayer rooms: Play with friends via share-code lobbies (up to 8 players), with bots filling the grid when needed.
Design Approach
The goal was to create "Streamable Chaos." The systems were designed to encourage funny moments and near-misses that players would want to share. Balancing the physics to be forgiving yet chaotic was key to the "stumble" feel.
Built for short sessions, big moments
The handling model is intentionally “stumbly” without becoming random—players can drift, bump, recover, and clutch wins through clean lines and smart speed control. Tracks escalate in complexity across rounds to create a natural skill curve and that “one more run” pull.
Multiplayer that doesn’t need a spreadsheet to start
The share-code system makes it easy to jump into a match with friends instantly, while bots keep matchmaking friction low. The result is a party-racer vibe: lightweight entry, competitive payoff.
Outcome
Delivered a multiplayer-ready prototype designed for high replayability through quick knockout rounds, escalating track difficulty, and social play.
Gallery
Credits
Documentation
Detailed documentation of vehicle tuning, track difficulty routing, obstacle systems, and bot navigation/avoidance behaviors will be added here.