Profit Pits
Online 8-player Co-op Multiplayer Mining game in development for my Game Design MA.
Date
May 2025
Role(s)
Game Designer, Scrum Master, Audio Designer
Contribution
General Gameplay Design
UI Design
Role, Tool, Consumables & World Item system design
Surface Level Design
Narrative
Game Audio
Links
Engine/Software
Unity 6
Key Skills / Features
Up to 8-player online lobbies
Co-operative gameplay
Milestone-based progression
Interchangeable roles & tasks
Customisable characters
Team Size
5
Project Walkthrough Video
Click to Watch the Early Project & Mine Video
Profit Pits is a 1-8 player collaborative Mining game, built on a persistent server modelled after Rust's servers. In Profit Pits, work together to efficiently Mine the procedurally generated mines for ores, Transport them to the surface, and Smelt them for... profit! (Well, your shady employer 'Quarry Minds Inc.'s profit!)
As a game designer, I designed the general gameplay loop, Tools, Hats, World Item system, Hazards and Narrative.
World Items are the physical items in the game that can be picked up/dropped, can not be placed in a player's inventory and are not Tools, Hats, or Consumables. Most items in the Profit Pits world have physics enabled, similar to ingredients in Overcooked.
Problem
How to encourage roles or specialisation without restricting the player to performing only that one specific task?
What I did
I designed Hats. Inspired by the idioms 'Wear a different hat' & 'Put yourself in another's shoes', Hats represent one's expertise in a Task.
Hats provide passive buffs for specified tasks but do not restrict a player from using any Tool, allowing them to complete different Tasks if desired.
Two players may mine ores with Pickaxes, but the player with the 'Miner' Hat will be more efficient.
Result / Feedback
Playtests showed that players now communicated more before allocating tasks to each other. Some players often wanted the relevant Hat for short-term use before performing the relevant Task, but on occasion would choose to perform the Task without the Hat for convenience. Having the choice to do either added the desired complexity without confusing players too much.
In Profit Pits each player must use a Tool or a Station to perform a task. For example, a Pickaxe is used to mine ores, a Lamp to light up the darkness of the mines, or the Cart to transport ores back to the surface. Each player can hold one Tool in their active hand at a time, with one inactive Tool able to be carried, but not used. This is to promote team working and the sharing of tasks and resources to succeed.
Problem
How to promote team collaboration?
What I did
Limited the number of tools a player can use/hold to 1. Knocked-out players can be revived early by another player.
Result / Feedback
In playtests, players naturally started to group and work together when navigating the dark mines, to mine and transport ores more effectively.
While the initial design was that each player would only have 1 slot to hold a Tool, another to hold their Hat, and one more exclusively for consumables, playtesting revealed an oversight that required revision. Players should be able to deliver a tool to another player if needed, but with only 1 Tool slot, that meant the delivering player would be empty-handed and near useless for the return trip, which feels bad for the player.
Problem
How can a player keep their own Tool, but still deliver a second Tool to another player without sacrificing the '1 Tool per player' mechanic?
What I did
Designed a new off-hand slot which can carry a Tool or consumable, but the item in the slot cannot be used by the player.
Result / Feedback
Playtests showed that this was received well, reduced the feeling of dread when a player wanted to change Tools but had to travel far to get it. After more testing I decided that Lamps would illuminate the area at a reduced range if held in the off-hand slot. This allowed a solo player to simultaneously Mine and see in the darkness, improving the single player experience.
The mine is procedurally generated, and working in the mine can cause Hazards, like Rockfalls & Gas Leaks, which can be ignited by a spark or flame to create an Explosion, leading to more rockfalls, or possibly an earthquake.
Various Metal and Gem ores can be mined, with more valuable ores available the deeper you go. As these are smelt and delivered, players will pass Profit Milestones to unlock benefits, such as additional tools, crafting recipes, and more.
