Nugget Rush
Nugget Rush is a 2D physics-based platformer where players control a hungry cat named Nugget on a mission to collect as many chicken nuggets as possible before his owners return home. Spanning three levels, players rotate the world itself to move through each environment. Every area introduces a new mechanic that keeps the experience light, chaotic, and full of surprises.
Developed at the National Film and Television School, the game combines hand-drawn animation, playful physics, and dynamic sound design recorded at AIR Studios, London.
Game Details
Genre: 2D physics-based platformer
Platform: PC
Duration: 10 weeks
Engine: Unity
Team Size: 10
Development: The National Film and Television School
Role:
As Art Director, Game Designer, and UI/UX Designer, I co-developed the project and led a 10-person team, overseeing both creative and production aspects. My key contributions included:
Designing game mechanics and progression systems that balanced humour with challenge.
Creating all visual assets in a cohesive hand-drawn style- created all UI, logos, backdrops, and assets in the level using Procreate and Photoshop.
Created animations, cutscenes, and VFX.
Overseeing production timelines, coordinating team communication, and managing scope.
Designing and refining levels for engaging flow and spatial readability. Playtesting and improving game design.
The Story
The game opens with a short animated video showing Nugget watching his owners leave before diving into his nugget quest.
At the end, two outcomes play out as short cutscenes:
Nugget is asleep on the couch, full and content.
Or, his owners return early, catching him in the act, looking guilty.
These sequences reinforce narrative humour and create a satisfying emotional arc that frames the otherwise fast-paced gameplay.
Opening Scene
Ending 1
Ending 2
The Challenge and Level Design
The game’s central mechanic, rotating the entire world to move the cat, made physics highly unpredictable. The character used a jelly-sprite system for deformation, which often caused Nugget to stretch or collapse in unexpected ways. Balancing these physics interactions while maintaining a tactile, satisfying feel required extensive tuning.
Level design presented another unique challenge: as Nugget eats more nuggets, he becomes fatter, which changes his collision shape and movement. Instead of becoming easier as the game progresses, Nugget Rush becomes trickier, demanding that each level be carefully designed to accommodate the cat’s increasing size without breaking the flow or fun.
First level design sketches- Nugget in a colourful world. The purple background and the sprite cutout were used for the borders of the level. The sketch below is a Procreate/Photoshop collage of the bedroom. All of the levels rotated, and Nugget got fatter further along the level- so many different iterations were needed for the three levels, living room, bathroom, then bedroom.
Visual Development
All assets in the game were drawn in Procreate or Adobe Creative Cloud, from backdrops, logo, UI, in-game assets
Visual Result
Through iteration and careful testing, the team achieved a balance between chaos and control. The final build delivered a humorous, physics-driven experience that remained readable and satisfying to play. The combination of playful art, responsive feedback, and adaptive level design made Nugget Rush one of the standout student projects for its charm and technical creativity.
Gameplay Videos
Players learn core mechanics in the tutorial- how to repair damages, clean surfaces, and move furniture. How to hide from the customer (for example, in the furniture!). The fixes are only quick and temporary, and you must try to make sure the customer sees no problems to sell the house. If you get caught by the customer, then game over.
Download the game here
Navigate a Bathroom, Bedroom and Livingroom to reach the ending. Learn how to rotate and move Nugget in the first level, then slippery floors and water particle effects are introduced in the bathroom.
The bedroom is all about bouncing on furniture to finish the level.