Action 54 by Omar Khan
BSc Games Programming student Omar Khan created a gauntlet of 54 mini games, designed to feel like holding an arcade in the palm of your hand.
Action 54 is a game made up of randomised mini games, set across nine worlds which act as a progress meter, saving your progress at certain points. Though the mini games are not united by any one theme, they all share retro, exaggerated cartoon aesthetics. Omar was inspired by the chaotic energy of classic microgame collections and retro games, embracing quirky mechanics and colourful presentation, as well as a sense of relentless pace that makes every session feel fresh and entertaining for players.
The overarching story is that of two main characters: Mr Hand and Mr Time Lord. The Time Lord is trying to force the player to procrastinate by playing games, while the player (as Mr Hand) must complete the games to escape the procrastination loop. Players jump through dozens of quick-fire challenges that test different skills 鈥� from reflexes to timing and even creativity, and sometimes rely on pure luck. This forces players to be adaptable, and keeps them engaged. Omar鈥檚 game embraces this unpredictability, with a sense of humour.
Essentially, I wanted to create the feeling of an arcade in the palm of your hands. I wanted to capture the excitement of constantly changing mechanics while adding my own humour, style, and experimental ideas.
Omar described his process: 鈥淓arly versions were simple prototypes with only a handful of games, but the project quickly evolved as I tested new concepts and refined the pacing. Over time, I focused on making each challenge feel distinct, fast, and memorable. The project grew into a larger experience with more polished visuals, varied gameplay, and a stronger emphasis on unpredictability and replayability for players.鈥�
For Omar, many modern games focus on feeling serious and cinematic, with hours of cutscenes. Going back to his memories of the games he grew up with, including arcade games and games with retro pixel art, Omar wanted to create something fast-paced and light-hearted.
The aim of the project was to make players feel energised and entertained, with Omar hoping that players will come away with a new appreciation for how experimentation and simplicity can create memorable gameplay experiences.
Most importantly, I want players to feel encouraged to embrace unpredictability, have fun with failure, and enjoy the excitement of constant variety and discovery.
Reflecting on his experience, Omar feels that working on Action 54 has helped him to develop both technical and creative skills. He also learned about the importance of pacing, iteration and player feedback in game development, and promotion and marketing, especially for independent games.
Omar exhibited his game at the Creative Computing and Electronic Music Computing Technology Degree Show.
