Top-Down Adventure

Turn the camera to look straight down and the game changes completely: no gravity, no jumping, and all four directions are equal. The world becomes a place to explore instead of a course to survive.

The rules

• The camera looks straight down, like a map.
• You can walk in any direction; no direction is harder than another.
• The world is usually bigger than the screen, so the camera follows you.
• Progress means reaching places and finding things, not surviving waves.

Games like this: The Legend of Zelda, Stardew Valley, Undertale.

Lessons that build this style

• 01 Top-Down Movement
• 05 Enemy Follows Player
• 06 Enemy Patrols
• 08 Collect Coins and Items
• 09 Health and Damage
• 10 Timer Countdown
• 12 Win and Lose Screen
• 13 Multiple Levels
• 14 Make Your Own Signal
• 15 Main Menu
• 16 Sound Effects
• 17 Background Music
• 18 Simple Animation
• 19 Camera Follow
• 21 How Sprites Work
• 22 The Animation Player
• 23 Walking Behind Things
• 26 Beat the Clock the sample