Volleyball gamejam

As one of our projects at the end of our first year, we participated in a summer-themed 3-day game jam.
Our team of four created a local multiplayer volleyball game. I was the sole programmer, responsible for implementing all of the game’s systems.

It is a simple local multiplayer game where you try to land the ball on your opponent’s side of the field.
Despite the short time we were able to make a fully playable game.

Development

Developing this game was pretty fun, since we were so restricted with time we had to be quick on our feet. Communication was key here since we had to develop everything with full intention, because we didn’t want to waste each others time.

Project Info
Role: Technical Programmer
Team: Finn, Bram, Silver & Can
Time: 3 days
Github

Explanation

This script controls the ball behavior in the 3D volleyball game jam project. It combines physics-based movement with player input, collision handling, and audio feedback to make the ball feel dynamic and fun.

Key responsibilities of the script:

  • Applies constant upward force to simulate buoyancy and make the ball feel “floaty”

  • Detects collisions with players and applies custom forces based on their movement, adding extra upward and forward momentum for hits

  • Plays different sound effects for hits and wall collisions, with randomized pitch to keep the audio feeling natural and varied

  • Supports reset functionality, allowing the ball to be repositioned instantly for each player

This script taught me how important physics tuning and feedback systems are for player experience. Small adjustments to force multipliers or audio variety made the difference between a ball that felt unresponsive and one that felt lively and satisfying to hit.

Code Snippet

Priority

Creating a game with working systems
in 3 days by focusing on what is important.

Everything I learned

Communication

We learned to communicate properly in a more stressful environment

Game feel

Even though it has short dev time, the game was still enjoyable to play for most people. It was a simple party game