KaalChakra

> System_Overview

KaalChakra ("The Wheel of Time") is a flagship collaborative 2D platformer engineered in partnership between GameDevUtopia (GDU) and PICTORIAL (the official annual magazine team of Pune Institute of Computer Technology).

Conceived for the 2025 PICTORIAL Annual Magazine Edition around its central theme of cyclical time, the project was featured directly in the college magazine. While initial prototyping began from the underlying architecture of Block Blocker, we rebuilt the entire core engine from scratch to create a bespoke, atmospheric time-manipulation system.

As core developer and Ex-Coding Head, I spearheaded the white-boxing of level geometry, coded the complete character physics and Prahar-shifting state machines, engineered customizable control rebinding, and built the multi-channel AudioMixer sound architecture, working alongside our crew who produced multi-tiered level designs and polished UI.

> Core_Mechanics & Chrono-System

• The 4 Prahar Chromatic Time-Shift System

  Inspired by the traditional 8-Prahar diurnal cycle of the day, engineered a 4-state chromatic time-shift engine. Shifting between Prahars alters world color palettes and dynamically toggles collider interactability—hiding and revealing solid platforms, barriers, and hazards required for the warrior to traverse the course.

• White-Boxing & Spatial Traversal Design

  Led the architectural white-boxing and greybox prototyping phase, determining jump arcs, platform spacing, sightlines, and timing puzzles before handing off to the level design crew for aesthetic dress-up.

• Customizable & Rebindable Control Engine

  Built a flexible input abstraction layer with full support for customizable key rebinding, gamepad calibration, and persistent player preference profiles.

• Dynamic AudioMixer & Sound Sources

  Engineered audio routing through Unity AudioMixer groups with logarithmic decibel scaling, blending atmospheric soundscapes, footsteps, and Prahar transition chimes dynamically in real time.

> Code_Snippet: 4-Prahar State Machine

// 4-Prahar Chromatic Time Shift & Collider Interaction Controller
public enum PraharState { Dawn_Pratah, Noon_Madhyahna, Dusk_Aparahna, Night_Nishitha }

public class PraharManager : MonoBehaviour {
    [SerializeField] private Color[] praharColors;
    [SerializeField] private PraharShiftableElement[] worldElements;

    public void ShiftToPrahar(PraharState targetPrahar) {
        Camera.main.backgroundColor = praharColors[(int)targetPrahar];
        foreach (var element in worldElements) {
            // Toggle collider and mesh visibility based on active Prahar quadrant
            bool isInteractable = element.ActivePrahar == targetPrahar;
            element.SetCollisionState(isInteractable);
        }
        AudioManager.Instance.PlayPraharChime((int)targetPrahar);
    }
}

> Learnings_&_Team_Collaboration