Be as llama as you can be
LLAMA: The Spitting Game is a bizarre, pixelated platformer in which you play as a fearless LLAMA exploring the Altiplano while spitting at anything that gets in your way.
This project is an homage to learning by doing and not being afraid to fail, packed with humor, unexpected details (like pooping condors), and chaotic charm.
Fun fact: llamas are great swimmers. But this is a game! If you fall into the water, it’s game over. Lesson learned!
Concept Reflections
1. Here’s what I was trying to do
I wanted to make a complete game from scratch, all by myself. This meant not only handling the code but also drawing all the art, designing mechanics, recording sounds, and publishing it on my own. The goal was to fully immerse myself in every part of the game development process.
2. Here’s why
I wanted to understand the entire production pipeline firsthand and challenge myself creatively. I believed that immersing myself in every discipline, would teach me more than staying in my comfort zone.
3. Here’s what I was interested in achieving
I wanted to finish a project. That sounds simple enough, but completing it was a huge milestone, especially since I was doing everything myself. More than anything, I wanted the game to have personality and humor. If it made someone laugh or spit out their coffee in surprise, then mission accomplished!
4. These are choices I made
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Llama as a character: I picked a llama because they’re adorable, bizarre, and underrated. Also: they spit. That alone made for an unconventional and funny mechanic.
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Pixel art style: It’s charming, retro, and accessible. I drew all of it myself to develop my visual design skills.
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No swimming allowed: I knew llamas could swim, but making water a danger added fun platformer stakes (and made people laugh).
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Head rotation mechanic: This was a unique challenge, getting the Llama’s head to rotate toward targets before spitting was both a fun animation and a key gameplay feature.
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Pooping birds and wet floors: Environmental storytelling through humor. The world itself becomes an obstacle course of absurdity.
Challenges & Solutions
As a solo developer, I had to fill every role. I ran into issues such as animation timing, collision bugs, and sound balancing.
Rather than outsourcing help, I taught myself the necessary tools by debugging through forums, learning from online tutorials, and tweaking everything until it felt right.
The final result isn’t perfect, but it’s entirely my own, and that’s what mattered most in this project.
Personal Thoughts
LLAMA THE SPITTING GAME, it’s packed with passion, jokes, and personal growth. It taught me to trust my instincts, persevere through creative fatigue, and accept imperfection as part of the process.
I created this game because I believed I could make something weird, joyful, and uniquely mine. That belief, like the llama’s spit, carried me all the way to the finish line.