Overview
A Tractor Attractor was developed over the course of a weekend during a Semester Games Jam. The theme of the jam was Attraction, which led our team to design a split-screen racing game built around a tractor beam mechanic. The vehicles moved automatically, while players influenced movement through attraction-based controls. An additional mechanic allowed players to switch to the opponent’s screen and interfere with their run by pulling them into obstacles.
This was my first game jam project, and I was responsible for the control scheme and camera system. My goal was to create an interaction model that felt intuitive during standard play while also supporting the screen-switching mechanic without disrupting the core racing experience. The result was a functional and accessible system, although playtesting showed that the side-switching feature could have been communicated more clearly to new players.
Impressions
Conclusion
This project was a useful exercise in rapid prototyping, collaborative development, and mechanic-driven game design under significant time constraints. Working in a team of six, we were able to divide responsibilities effectively and deliver a complete, playable result within a single weekend. The final game was stable, competitive, and well received during the evaluation phase.
The game was developed for PC and is available for download below. It supports both keyboard and controller input, although only Xbox 360 controllers were tested. The source code is also available on GitHub.
