Documentation + User Guide

Concept vs Final Game

Commander Cockerel and the Undead stayed true to the heart of the concept: a chaotic, wave-based arcade shooter with a comedic horror farm twist. The core idea — survive as long as possible while blasting zombies and collecting power-ups — is fully intact. That said, a few features evolved or didn’t make it in (yet), and here’s a breakdown of what changed and why:

What Stayed the Same

Core Gameplay Loop:

• Survive endless waves of increasingly tough enemies
• Earn points by eliminating zombies
• Collect pitchforks for random power-ups and grenades
• Beat your high score and repeat the chaos

Key Features Implemented:

• Egg Grenade: Works as planned — drops behind the player and does big damage
• Dash Move: Lets players zip through tight spaces and avoid getting cornered
• Strategic Obstacles: Fences are used to create visual and functional chokepoints

Map & Level Design:

• Gritty haunted farm with a coop-style starting area
• Grave markers as enemy spawn points

Visual Style:

• Retro pixel art with cartoon horror flair
• Chunky outlines, exaggerated animations, and a consistent pixel aesthetic

Character Design:

• Commander Cockerel: Looks exactly how I imagined — a tough rooster in military gear armed with a machine gun.

Sound FX:

• Features zombie moans, egg bomb explosions, ambient farm sounds, and the signature rooster crow

Progression & Replayability:

• Waves get harder with stronger, faster zombies
• Power-ups offer replay variety and improve survivability

What changed and why

• Brain bomb – the brain bomb wasn’t included because the focus was placed on polishing the mechanics of the existing power-ups. May add later.
• Mud pits – mud pits were actually included but just as map tiles and not to slow enemies down. May implement later.
• Enemies/character design – originally I planned to have farmer zombies and obese farmer zombies as the tanky enemies. I changed this to little pixel art green zombies as I couldn’t find a eight direction sprite sheet for a “farmer zombie”. This design looked cool and still fit the theme.
• Sound and music – the music does not include a looping banjo-fueled track that gets more intense with each round. Was difficult to find a track that was exactly what I was looking for so settled for some audio that fitted the theme.
• “Survive 10 rounds to open all areas” I scaled this down to first gate is opened a round 3, which opens the whole map and another gate opens on round 5 too add the player being able to loop around the map. This was scaled down as 10 rounds was way too long and I needed more action faster.
• More weapons – no more weapons were implemented other then the machine gun. Although the power-ups add abilities like the egg bomb to the arsenal.

Summary

The final game delivers on its core idea — fast-paced, chaotic fun with a rooster blasting zombies. It’s silly, intense, and plays just how I imagined, even without every planned feature.

Testing Feedback & Changes

In Week 12, I ran a playtesting session where classmates tested Commander Cockerel and the Undead. The feedback I got — and the things I noticed while watching people play — really helped me polish the final build. Here’s a breakdown of what was tested, what came up, and what I changed:

Wave Timing & Flow

Feedback: One tester mentioned they weren’t sure when a wave ended or when the next one was starting. They also said the time between waves felt way too long, which dragged things out and stopped them from seeing later features.

What Changed:

• Cut time between waves from 10 seconds to 5
• Added a 3..2..1 UI countdown with matching beep audio
• Added a cinematic boom at the end of each wave
• Made enemies get tougher faster
• Opened the full map at wave 3 instead of wave 5
• Triggered new zombie types when the full map unlocks

Pitchfork Power-Up System

Feedback: Some testers never found the pitchfork power-up and didn’t understand how it worked. It was too random and confusing.

What Changed:

• Reworked the logic completely
• Pitchfork now spawns once every round instead of only between waves
• Added a fixed spawn point in the starting area at the end of wave 1 so players always encounter it
• Created an in-game UI instruction panel that appears the first time a pitchfork is found to explain the system

Audio Balancing & Bugs

Feedback:

• Audio levels were too loud or clashing
• The rooster crow (which now plays when you collect a pitchfork) sounded glitchy
• Machine gun audio didn’t play properly when just clicking (worked better when held)

What Changed:

• Added rooster crow to the AudioManager and tweaked its volume + trigger point
• Balanced overall sound mix with volume sliders in the inspector
• Tightened up the start of the gun audio clip so it triggers even on quick clicks

Enemy Hit Detection

Feedback: Players were taking damage from zombies even when they weren’t touching them — felt unfair.

What Changed:

• Reduced zombie attack range via the inspector
• Tightened up colliders on both zombies and player
• This made hit detection feel much more accurate and fair

Restart/Replay Bug (WebGL)

Feedback: When restarting the game or returning to the main menu and starting again, the player would get stuck — no movement, no bullets, no zombies.

What I Found: This only happened in WebGL builds and took a while to track down. With help from my professor, I found the issue was caused by the “New High Score” scene that was triggered after a game over. It somehow messed with reinitializing key systems when reloading the main game.

What Changed:

• Removed the high score scene and all related scripts
• Instead, added a new high score input panel directly to the game over screen
• It now only shows up if a high score is reached

Note: It’s not the cleanest UI setup visually, but it was more important to get restarting and high scores working reliably. I’ll improve the look later.

Final Thoughts

This round of testing made me realise how easy it is to overthink or overbuild certain features when you're the one making the game. What made sense in my head (like hiding power-ups or delaying map unlocks) ended up confusing new players or slowing down the fun. Having outside perspectives helped me simplify and improve the experience — and made the game a lot more accessible and fun to replay.

Asset list

AI

• Pursuit.cs Makes zombies follow the player using simple line-of-sight tracking.

Use: Basic player-chasing logic for aggressive zombie behavior. Source: From KIT109 tutorial materials. (University of Tasmania, 2024)

• Seeker.cs Helps zombies find a direction or path.

Use: Supports directional targeting in open or blocked areas. Source: Based on KIT109 tutorial examples. (University of Tasmania, 2024)

• Mover.cs Controls movement speed and position updates per frame.

Use: Smooths zombie motion across the map. Source: From KIT109 tutorial framework. (University of Tasmania, 2024)

• Wandering.cs Allows zombies to roam randomly when not tracking the player.

Use: Adds idle behavior to enemies before aggro triggers. Source: Derived from KIT109 tutorial content. (University of Tasmania, 2024)

Animations

This folder holds all animation clips and controllers for the player and zombies. These define how characters move, attack, and react in-game using Unity’s Animator system.

• PlayerAnimationController Animation state machine for Commander Cockerel. Manages transitions like idle, walking, shooting.

Use: Controls the player's animation flow. Source: Custom built in Unity.

• Shooting.anim Animation triggered when the player shoots.

Use: Adds visual feedback to firing. Source: Mercanary sprite sheet from kit109 tutorials. (University of Tasmania, 2024)

• WalkingAnimation.anim Basic movement animation for Commander Cockerel.

Use: Shows player walking in 8 directions. Source: Mercanary sprite sheet from kit109 tutorials. (University of Tasmania, 2024)

• ZombieAnimation.anim Attack, death, hurt, idle, and walking animations for standard zombies.

Use: Enemy behavior visuals and state transitions. Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

• ZombieAnimationController Animator controller for zombies. Handles switching between idle, walking, attacking, hurt, and death states.

Use: Manages zombie animation logic in Unity. Source: Custom configured in Unity Animator.

Audio

This folder holds all sound effects used in the game, including ambience, feedback, and action sounds. Sounds are triggered through an AudioManager object and tied to events like wave transitions, power-up pickups, and combat.

• cinematic-boom-171285.mp3 Deep boom sound played at the end of a wave.

Use: Signals the wave has ended. Source: Pixabay. (lordsonny, n.d.)

• gbRoosterCrow.mp3 Rooster sound when a pitchfork power-up is collected.

Use: Audio cue for successful power-up pickup. Source: Rooster crow recording, recorded by me.

• high-speed-2-192899.mp3 Fast swish sound used for player dash ability.

Use: Feedback when dashing. Source: Pixabay (universfield, n.d.)

• hit-flesh-02-266309.mp3 Flesh impact sound played when zombies are hit.

Use: Bullet-to-zombie feedback. Source: Pixabay (u_xjrmmgxfru, n.d.)

• intense-horror-music-01-14890.mp3 Background music loop during gameplay.

Use: Sets horror-action tone. Source: Pixabay (freesound_community, n.d.)

• MachineGunFunk22.mp3 Player’s machine gun firing sound.

Use: Audio cue for bullet fire. Source: Pixabay (freesound_community, n.d.)

• medium-explosion-40472.mp3 Sound used for the egg bomb detonation.

Use: Feedback for egg bomb explosion. Source: Pixabay (freesound_community, n.d.)

• short-beep-countdown-81121.mp3 Beeping sound tied to the 3..2..1 countdown UI.

Use: Pre-wave warning. Source: Pixabay (freesound_community, n.d.)

• sound-ambience-sonido-ambiente-12-14133.mp3 Ambient background audio during play.

Use: Creates eerie farm atmosphere. Source: Pixabay (lachm, n.d.)

• zombie-sound-224167.mp3 Zombie growl/moan when they spawn or attack.

Use: Brings zombies to life (in a spooky way). Source: Pixabay (alice_soundz, n.d.)

Images

This folder contains static UI background images used for various screens and menus in the game. These help reinforce the game’s theme and provide visual clarity between different game states.

• BackgroundLeaderboard Background image used on the high score leaderboard screen.

Use: Thematic backdrop for viewing top scores. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• BackgroundNewHighscore Previously used on the high score name entry scene (now deprecated).

Use: Background for entering new high score (no longer in use). Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• BriefBackground Used as the back drop of the mission brief panel before player enters the main scene.

Use: Supporting UI screen background. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• ControlsPage Background shown behind the controls/instructions panel.

Use: Displays the game’s control scheme. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• MainMenuBackground Background for the game’s main menu.

Use: The first screen players see — sets tone and visual style. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

Materials

This folder contains materials applied to certain enemy types to visually distinguish them using color or effects like glow. These materials are used to give zombies unique identities without changing their base sprites.

• RedZombieMaterial Material applied to the red "power" zombie variant.

Use: Visually identifies stronger, more dangerous enemies. Source: Custom Unity material with color tint.

• YellowZombieMaterial Material used for the fast "speed" zombie variant.

Use: Highlights faster-moving enemies. Source: Custom Unity material with yellow tint.

Prefabs

This folder contains all reusable GameObjects used during gameplay — including projectiles, power-ups, visual effects, enemy types, and spawners. Each is a self-contained unit with all components preconfigured for spawning, animation, interaction, and logic.

Sprites

• BulletSprite_0 The standard projectile fired by the player’s machine gun.

Use: Main weapon bullet. Source: Kit109 tutorial content (University of Tasmania, 2024)

• EggBomb Dropped behind the player when the egg bomb power-up is active.

Use: Explosive timed trap. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• PitchforkPowerUp Collectible item that grants a random power-up.

Use: Core power-up pickup object. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

Particles & Effects

• BloodBurst Red particle effect that appears when zombies take damage.

Use: Visual feedback for zombie hits. Source: Unity particle system.

• DirtPuff Dusty particle effect triggered by zombie spawning .

Use: when zombies spawn to give an effect of coming up from the gravestones. Source: Unity particle system.

• EggExplosion Explosion effect triggered when the egg bomb detonates.

Use: Area-of-effect damage visual. Source: Unity particle system.

• GoldParticles Glowing particles that play near a pitchfork spawn location.

Use: Draws attention to power-ups. Source: Unity particle system.

Spawner

• GravestoneSpawner Visual and functional spawn point used for enemy wave spawning.

Use: Defines where zombies emerge from. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

Zombies

• Zombie Base zombie prefab. Used for standard enemy behavior.

Use: Common enemy across early waves. Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

• ZombiePursuer Uses basic chase logic to follow the player directly.

Use: Adds pressure and engagement. Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

• ZombieSeeker Uses basic chase logic to seek out the player.

Use: Basic seeking logic to find the player Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

• ZombieWanderer Roams randomly until it detects the player.

Use: Idle threat that wanders the map. Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

• AdvancedPursuer A tougher, more persistent enemy with improved pursuit behavior.

Use: Higher wave threat. Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

• SuperPursuerRed Powerful red zombie variant with higher health and damage.

Use: Elite enemy challenge. Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

• SpeedPursuerYellow Fast yellow zombie that quickly closes distance.

Use: Speed-based threat. Source: 8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

Scenes

This folder includes all Unity scenes used in the game. Each one represents a distinct game state or screen — from gameplay to UI navigation.

• MainScene The core gameplay scene where all waves, enemies, power-ups, and scoring take place.

Use: Main playable level. Status: Active — this is the heart of the game.

• MainMenu The start screen that allows players to begin the game, view controls, or check high scores.

Use: Entry point for players. Status: Active.

• ControlsScene A simple scene explaining the control layout and power-up usage.

Use: Helps players learn how to play. Status: Active and accessible from the main menu.

• HighScoresScene Displays the top scores and is accessible from the main menu.

Use: Dedicated high score leaderboard screen. Status: Active — used to view past high scores.

 Scripts

This folder contains all custom C# scripts used to control gameplay, input, spawning, interactions, UI, and more. Scripts are organized below by function.

Audio

• AudioManager.cs Manages all in-game audio clips and volume settings.

Use: Plays and controls sound effects globally.

Core Gameplay Logic

• GameManager.cs Centralized control for general game logic and state transitions.

Use: Manages game flow behind the scenes.

• MainSceneManager.cs Controls sequence of audio.

Use: Oversees gameplay audio sequence in MainScene.

• WaveManager.cs / WaveSpawner.cs Handles enemy wave timing, difficulty scaling, and zombie spawning logic.

Use: Controls when and how enemies appear.

• SpawnerBasic.cs Basic enemy spawner script.

Use: Older or simplified version used in early tests.

• CountDownManager.cs Controls the 3..2..1 countdown UI and associated sounds between waves.

Use: Prepares the player for upcoming waves.

• DestroyOnCollision.cs / ExplosionOnDestroy.cs Handles object destruction logic, like when bullets or bombs collide.

Use: Cleans up GameObjects and triggers effects.

Player Control & Interaction

• EightWayMovement.cs Manages top-down 8-directional player movement.

Use: Smooth directional input for WASD control.

• PlayerShooting.cs / PlayerShooting1.cs Handles player shooting logic and bullet instantiation.

Use: Fires bullets on click or hold.

• PlayerHealth.cs / PlayerHealthUI.cs Tracks player health and updates the health display.

Use: Health system and UI tie-in.

• PlayerPowerUps.cs Tracks active power-ups and applies effects to the player.

Use: Manages dash, egg bomb, etc.

• PowerUpTutorial.cs Controls the tutorial UI panel shown when players encounter their first power-up.

Use: Onboarding players into the pitchfork system.

• PlayerDetector.cs Used to activate gold particle effect on the pitchfork power-up when play is near

Use: Helps player know when pitchfork power-up is near.

Pitchfork & Power-Up System

• PitchforkManager.cs / PitchforkPowerUP.cs / PitchforkSpawnArea.cs Control pitchfork spawning, pickup detection, and timing logic.

Use: Core system for spawning and managing power-ups.

UI & Score

• ControlsManager.cs Switches to the ControlsScene and handles menu navigation.

Use: UI scene handling.

• HighScoreManagerScript.cs / ScoreManager.cs Manages current score and high score input panel logic.

Use: UI feedback and leaderboard logic.

• MainMenu.cs Logic for the main menu buttons and navigation.

Use: Scene loading and input handling from menu.

Zombie Behavior

• ZombieAttack.cs Handles enemy attacks when near the player.

Use: Deals damage to the player on contact.

• ZombieHealth.cs Manages zombie hit points and death triggers.

Use: Tracks damage taken by enemies.

Note: All scripts in this project were either adapted from KIT109 tutorial content (University of Tasmania, 2024) or developed with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025) to support implementation, debugging, and optimisation.

Sprites

This folder contains all pixel-based 2D artwork used in the game, including characters, environment props, UI elements, and collectible power-ups. These sprites are used in both the game world and UI overlays.

Player

• CommanderCockerel Sprite sheet for the main player character, including movement and shooting frames.

Use: Player animation and visuals. Source: Kit109 tutorial content (University of Tasmania, 2024)

Environment

• Barn-1.png Large red barn sprite used to frame the central area of the map.

Use: Key visual landmark in the level. Source: Craftland tile map (Szadi Art, n.d.) modified in piksel

• ChickenCoop Smaller structure marking another visual landmark.

Use: Adds to the theme as a key landmark on the map. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• Gravestone1 / Gravestone2 / Gravestone3 Variants of tombstone sprites placed where zombies spawn.

Use: Grave marker visuals for wave spawns. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• Hay Used to decorate and build up the playable area.

Use: Visual filler/obstacle. Source: Craftland tile map (Szadi Art, n.d.)

• MagicGate Visual element blocking off the full map until it's unlocked.

Use: Scene progression and area access. Source: Craftland tile map (Szadi Art, n.d.)

• Tree / Tree2 Environmental props for decoration and map layout.

Use: Adds depth and breaks up the ground visuals. Source: From level tile pack (Szadi Art, n.d.)

Power-Ups & UI Icons

• Pitchfork Main power-up collectible that spawns each round.

Use: Activates one of three random abilities. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• RapidFire Icon shown when the rapid-fire power-up is active.

Use: Visual UI cue for active power-up. Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• DashIcon Icon that appears in the HUD when dash is active.

Use: Visual UI cue for active power-up.  Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

• EggBomb Sprite representing the explosive egg bomb power-up.

Use: Visual UI cue for active power-up.  Source: Generated by Chat GPT (OpenAI, 2025)

Enemies

• Zombies Full zombie sprite sheet sliced for idle, walk, attack, hurt, and death animations.

Use: Enemy visuals and animation cycles. Source:  8 direction pixel art zombie sprite sheet. (Tiki Ted, n.d.)

Tiles

This folder includes all tile assets and palettes used to design the game's map using Unity’s Tilemap system. Each tile palette contains grouped tiles for specific purposes like background detail or playable terrain.

Decorative (Tile Palette)

• A custom tile palette made for decorative elements such as plants, fence posts, gravestones, hay, and other non-interactive props.

Use: Adds visual detail and variety to fill out the farm environment. Source: Created from pixel art assets and grouped manually in Unity.

Objects

• Tiles for props like crops, crates, and farm equipment from asset packs CL_Crafting and CL_Crops_Mining.

Use: Adds static map features to support the rural farm theme. Source: Craftland tile map (Szadi Art, n.d.)

Terrain

• Contains tiles used for ground textures like dirt, pathing, and mud patches.

Use: Forms the walkable base of the level. Source: Craftland tile map, RPG Worlds: Strange Land (Szadi Art, n.d.)

TileMaps / TileMaps2

• Folders containing Tile Palette assets, Brush settings, and any Rule Tiles used during painting.

Use: Lets you build and organize terrain and decoration layers efficiently. Source: Created using Unity's built-in Tile Palette tools.

 User Guide

Game Title:

Commander Cockerel and the Undead

Game Overview

You play as Commander Cockerel, a battle-hardened rooster fighting off waves of Zombies who have taken over your farm. Your mission? Survive as long as possible, rack up points, and unleash chaos with power-ups like the egg bomb and lightning-fast dash. It’s fast, it’s ridiculous, and it’s packed with farm-fueled firepower.

Objective

• Survive endless waves of zombies
• Use weapons and power-ups to stay alive
• Earn points and beat your high score

Controls

Main Menu

• Start the game
• Controls
• View high scores
• Exit the game

Gameplay Screen

• Shows score, wave number, and active power-ups
• Player health display (top left)
• 3..2..1 count down between each wave 
• Enemies spawn from grave markers
• Pitchforks appear each round in random positions to grant power-ups

Game Over Screen

• Displays your final score
• Option to restart
• Option to return to the main menu
• Option to view the high scores screen

High Score Screen

• View your top scores and chase your personal best

References

alice_soundz. (n.d.). Zombie noise [Sound effect]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/users/alice_soundz-44907632/

freesound_community. (n.d.). Countdown beep, menu ambience, machine gun, explosion [Sound effects]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/users/freesound_community-46691455/

kamranbashirb. (n.d.). Ambience for main scene [Sound effect]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/users/kamranbashirb-22755210/

lachm. (n.d.). Main scene music, round start cue [Sound effects]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/users/lachm-25025248/

lordsonny. (n.d.). Round hit / impact cue [Sound effect]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/users/lordsonny-38439655/

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (May 2025 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

Szadi Art. (n.d.). RPG Worlds: Strange Land (Level tiles + Craftland) [Pixel tileset]. itch.io. https://szadiart.itch.io/rpg-worlds-strange-land

Tiki Ted. (n.d.). Zombie sprite sheet [2D asset]. itch.io. https://tiki-ted.itch.io

u_xjrmmgxfru. (n.d.). Flesh hit / bullet impact [Sound effect]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/users/u_xjrmmgxfru-47169417/

universfield. (n.d.). Dash SFX [Sound effect]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/users/universfield-28281460/

University of Tasmania. (2024). KIT109 game development tutorials. School of ICT, University of Tasmania.