Raphaël Martin-Rodrigues
Game Designer
AXE HERO
MY GOALS
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Designing and implementing player mechanics
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​Developing AI behaviors
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Designing unique upgrade
MECHANICS
Combo meter
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I designed the combo meter to actively encourage aggression, rewarding fast and decisive actions with quicker access to special attacks. This transforms offensive play into a thrilling rhythm of momentum and reward, keeping combat both engaging and empowering.
Room Reward
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The Final Score system, where performance ratings after each room grant better rewards, directly reinforcing the player’s build choices and progression.
Snake Archetype
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I designed the Snake archetype, a poison focused upgrade path that trades flashy impact for tactical, damage-over-time effects, reinforced by a green/purple identity.
Cat Archetype
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I designed the Cat archetype, a pink/red upgrade path focused on blood abilities, rewarding aggressive, high-risk combat with sustain, self healing, and a greater chance to land critical strikes.
Bear Archetype
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the Bear archetype, an orange-themed upgrade path built on strength and endurance, giving players resilience, heavy strikes, and an increased chance for critical damage.
SPECIAL ATTACK
Wave Attack
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I designed the Wave Range Attack, a combo-powered strike that consumes meter energy and pierces through all enemies in its path rewarding aggression with powerful crowd control.
Spin Attack
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I designed the Spin Attack, a high-cost move that consumes more combo energy but offers a greater chance of critical damage rewarding bold, aggressive play with high-risk, high-reward impact.
AI DESIGN
Melee Enemy
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I designed the Robot enemy, a low-health, mid-speed AI that feels simple alone but becomes challenging in groups, helping players build their combo meter while testing crowd control.
Tank Enemy
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I designed the Ogre enemy, a tanky AI with the most health of all normal foes, balanced by slower speed and attacks, forcing players to adapt their pacing and resource use.
Poison Range Enemy
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The Poison Spider, a ranged AI that creates poison puddles on impact, adding area-denial hazards that force players to adapt their positioning.
Ice Range Enemy
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The Cold Spider, is a ranged AI that shoots freezing projectiles to slow the player, disrupting combat rhythm and adding crowd-control pressure.
BOSS DESIGN
Pillar Attack
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I designed a Boss Attack where ground slams cause ice pillars to drop from the roof, guided by red radius indicators forcing players to stay mobile and react quickly.
Summoning Enemy
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the boss roars to summon reinforcements, forcing players to balance fighting new enemies while keeping pressure on the boss.
Projectile Throw
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I designed the Frost Blast Projectile, a massive ranged attack that deals heavy damage and applies a strong freeze effect, escalating the Cold Spider’s mechanic into a boss-level threat.
DESIGN CHALLENGES
Balancing Randomness and Fairness
One of the key design challenges in Axe Hero was creating a roguelike loop that felt unpredictable and fresh, while still remaining fair and rewarding for the player. Roguelikes thrive on randomness whether through enemy spawns, upgrade options, or room layouts but too much unpredictability can make progress feel frustrating or luck-based rather than skill-driven.
Upgrade Archetypes
In Axe Hero, one of the key challenges I tackled was making upgrades feel both strategic and intuitive within the roguelike loop. Too often, roguelike upgrades rely heavily on randomness, leaving players with choices that feel disconnected or unclear. My goal was to design a system where every upgrade option could be immediately recognized and deliberately chosen, empowering players to build their run with intention.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Conclusion
Ultimately, Axe Hero taught me the importance of pacing and choice in roguelike design—that the tension between unpredictability and player agency is what creates lasting engagement. By focusing on tight combat feedback, meaningful upgrades, and escalating encounters, I helped craft an experience that feels intense, rewarding, and uniquely replayable.
