Solo Project

Tools: Maya, Unity, Audacity, Krita

Tasks: Asset Design, 3D Modelling, UVing, Texturing, 2D Art Sketching/Colouring, Level Layouts/Design, Greyboxing, Level Building, Lighting, Narrative Design, Character Bios, Sound Design, Visual Effects, Programming, Testing

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This project, produced for narrative design, was crafted to emphasise the story and tone. Pre-production included exercises making character/item profiles, exploring aspects of the world not directly featured in the story itself, as a reference for creating a more consistent character/narrative development.

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Core Design

1. Set the scope

2. Concept within limits

3. Weave narrative into mechanics

In any solo project I must design around my own limitations, concepting a workable game idea with minimal mechanics and a tight scope, while still creating intentional style. Programming is my weakest skill, and as it is foundational to game development, I always make sure to design systems I already have a plan on how to accomplish.

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The only real mechanic of the game is placing and picking up reflective pearls as a way of mapping one's progress through the maze. This bread crumb method of setting a trail was chosen as more convenient system than the ball of string in the original myth. I established this system in the narrative, working off of the character bios to set up the tale of downfall from greed and hubris.

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Art Direction

1. Define possibilities within scope

2. Match style to narrative

The choice of static images for the exposition was also a practical one, lacking the time or more advanced skill for animated cutscenes. This way I had more freedom of style and expression, didn't waste player time in game for context, and was simple to execute mechanically. I traced from reference images to get the poses, keeping backgrounds to a minimum. The aesthetic I was going for was establishing a storybook fable-like quality, as a clear alternative myth, while borrowing some of the expressive poses from classical Greek art.

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Several artistic details were changed in development. Originally the maze was to be set in a mountain, but the greybox stand-in dwarfed the door taking away from the intended grandeur. So, I changed it to a temple and added in the parameter wall, all serving as an ominous build up to the idea of the monster, with the large imposing structure and confinement and isolation.