How should I look today! - behind the screens

BRIEF OVERVIEW

Enter the shoes of a social media traveller, eager to discover a land renowned for its unique apple varieties. Your mission: purchase an apple. But blending in proves difficult as locals eye you with suspicion. Can you convince them of your harmless intentions, or will it lead to dire consequences?

Objective

The assignment delves into the repercussions of standing out in a crowd , inspired by a real-life incident with severe consequences, prompting exploration of the emotions and reactions triggered when one is perceived as different among peers .

MY ROLE as Game Designer

This project was inspired by Jordan Magnuson’s game poems. Dedicated to the events of the Diphu incident of 2018, the game poem delves into the complexities of human behavior towards those unfamiliar to them, encompassing aspects such as appearance, food, culture, and geography. My primary aim with this project was to evoke the atmosphere of confusion and terror that individuals experiencing alienation might encounter in such circumstances.

DESIGN PROCESS

The entire experience is divided into 3 main parts, and would be introduced to the player in this order:

• Character Customization: The player can choose how their character would dress.
• Gameplay: Gameplay is explained in the section below.
• Story: this section explains the narrative of the game poem.

The gameplay was segmented into four levels, each designed to evoke distinct emotions in the player. Further details regarding these emotions are illustrated in the subsequent image.

Iterations

To design the levels I used Lego bricks. It helped me to plan and iterate on the dimensions and details of each level. After a couple of iterations on Lego, I iterated on the game engine, followed by a few iterations with colour schemes.

Playtest

The playtest involved 13 participants split into two groups. Seven individuals comprised the first group, receiving the initial version of the game poem, while the second group, consisting of six participants, received the revised version. Following this, I distributed a questionnaire to assess their comprehension of the narrative elements. The initial version of the game was tested by the first group and subsequently updated for testing with the second group.

Interacting with the playtesters during these sessions enabled me to identify and address usability issues. These adjustments were implemented to create the final version, now accessible online.

Feedback from playtesters

I am very happy to share a few feedbacks I have received so far:

“This was a very thought-provoking experience!”

“…I like the simplicity of the art style, and how it still gets the point across really well. Also, the fact that the button says ‘yes, change me’ instead of ‘change my clothes’ fits the theme really well.”

“…first thing first, I think it serves the purpose. the message was crystal clear.I was not expecting anything close to it… I liked how after we played the game, and we ask what happened, and we get to know the story”

Detailed Article and Links

To play, visit the game directly at Itchio Site .

Please feel free to reach out if you would be interested in helping and collaborating with us in the project. :)










FIN.