SPOILERS AHEAD!
The result
A small journey through unusual place
- Task Simulator
- Narrated Experience
- Dystopian Twist
- Exploration
A small journey through unusual place
- Task Simulator
- Narrated Experience
- Dystopian Twist
- Exploration
conditions
- 7 weeks
- Team of 10
- No asset budget
We were given 3 TV shows and asked to make a game isnpired by one of them
- 7 weeks
- Team of 10
- No asset budget
We were given 3 TV shows and asked to make a game isnpired by one of them
Trailer
Summary
Gameplay Design
We've tried to spark curiosity in the player and make them focus on the narrative, "Glitch" moments help to achieve that.
Simple controls were chosen to not distract the player, but it still allowed for many interactions to immerse the player in office routines.
We've tried to spark curiosity in the player and make them focus on the narrative, "Glitch" moments help to achieve that.
Simple controls were chosen to not distract the player, but it still allowed for many interactions to immerse the player in office routines.
Narrative
From our chosen inspiration, we've decided to deceive the player.
The narrator is a focal point of the game's narrative - he provides valuable context, entertains the player and concludes the story.
From our chosen inspiration, we've decided to deceive the player.
The narrator is a focal point of the game's narrative - he provides valuable context, entertains the player and concludes the story.
Sound Design
Office space with many interactable objects required a lot of fine-tuning of modulation in FMOD as well as good sounds in general that got redacted in Audition.
Our friend from the US voiced the narrator's speeches for us.
Office space with many interactable objects required a lot of fine-tuning of modulation in FMOD as well as good sounds in general that got redacted in Audition.
Our friend from the US voiced the narrator's speeches for us.
Contents of My Contribution
How we've started it & My impact
Idea
This was the 2nd biggest project we had during our education.
We've decided to base our inspiration on Black Mirror since it gave us the most creative freedom. Then, after some discussions, we voted on the game idea in Miro, the result was a task simulator.
Inspiration
After the idea for the game has been set, we've discussed various similar games in terms of gameplay, narrative and possible visual aesthetics. the Stanley Parable has been the closest one in general, but Portal and Overwatch gave us some inspiration as well.
Artists have insisted on adding a "glitch" effect, which became a point of headache for the whole team, but in the end was definitely worth the effort.
Responsibilities
I have been responsible for the Narrative, initial Game Design and Sound Design.
Idea
This was the 2nd biggest project we had during our education.
We've decided to base our inspiration on Black Mirror since it gave us the most creative freedom. Then, after some discussions, we voted on the game idea in Miro, the result was a task simulator.
Inspiration
After the idea for the game has been set, we've discussed various similar games in terms of gameplay, narrative and possible visual aesthetics. the Stanley Parable has been the closest one in general, but Portal and Overwatch gave us some inspiration as well.
Artists have insisted on adding a "glitch" effect, which became a point of headache for the whole team, but in the end was definitely worth the effort.
Responsibilities
I have been responsible for the Narrative, initial Game Design and Sound Design.
Gameplay Design
Concept
Core Experience
There isn't a lot to write about - it is a task simulator.
The 3 main design pillars we've chosen are:
1. Simplicity
All mechanics are simple and easy to understand.
2. Curiosity
Everything in the game aims to spark interest to progress further in the player.
3. Unsettling feel
The player will question the presented narrative and seek the truth.
And to preserve the vision of the game, we've described the core experience in one sentence - "Dystopian task simulator at a facility".
Interactions
We've decided to not bother the player with controls and designed all tasks with 1-button interactions in mind.
In order to pick up and drop something or interact with an object, the player uses only one keyboard button.
The player also has a tablet with current tasks that they can access any time.
Concept
Core Experience
There isn't a lot to write about - it is a task simulator.
The 3 main design pillars we've chosen are:
1. Simplicity
All mechanics are simple and easy to understand.
2. Curiosity
Everything in the game aims to spark interest to progress further in the player.
3. Unsettling feel
The player will question the presented narrative and seek the truth.
And to preserve the vision of the game, we've described the core experience in one sentence - "Dystopian task simulator at a facility".
Interactions
We've decided to not bother the player with controls and designed all tasks with 1-button interactions in mind.
In order to pick up and drop something or interact with an object, the player uses only one keyboard button.
The player also has a tablet with current tasks that they can access any time.
Gameplay
Glitched Out state
Gameplay Loop Corridor
Creation of tasks and levels was a collaborative work of me as a narrative designer and 3 other game designers.
The game has 3 main areas, each has tasks, most of which can be completed in any order.
A lot of interactions and areas are narrated by the beautiful voice of one of the friends of our team.
Our Flavour
The game has a few moments in which the player sees the "glitched out", real state of the environment around them.
It was achieved by seamless teleportation in and out for a short period of time.
Narrative
Workflow
Team Interactions
Me, with the help of another designer, have been responsible for the narrative.
Since the narrative is the focal point of this game, the work on it has been started from the get-go.
Artists, level designers and puzzle designers more or less have been dependent on the narrative, so we had to do it in a timely manner as well, and so we did.
Workflow
Team Interactions
Me, with the help of another designer, have been responsible for the narrative.
Since the narrative is the focal point of this game, the work on it has been started from the get-go.
Artists, level designers and puzzle designers more or less have been dependent on the narrative, so we had to do it in a timely manner as well, and so we did.
Core Idea
From Inspiration to Synopsis
Due to Black Mirror being our inspirational material, we have interpreted it to be something dystopian / unsettling / with a dark twist. inspired by environments of Portal and the Stanley Parable, I've came up with the setting and synopsis:
"A facility that produces different robots with human brains inside of them.
You play as one of them, by doing different tasks you conduct a test of your model.
The overseeing AI voice of that facility provides you with tasks and comments on your actions, as well as disguises this test run as a course to remember your life prior to the memory loss incident.
Your body and environment are under illusion to cover harsh truth."
From Inspiration to Synopsis
Due to Black Mirror being our inspirational material, we have interpreted it to be something dystopian / unsettling / with a dark twist. inspired by environments of Portal and the Stanley Parable, I've came up with the setting and synopsis:
"A facility that produces different robots with human brains inside of them.
You play as one of them, by doing different tasks you conduct a test of your model.
The overseeing AI voice of that facility provides you with tasks and comments on your actions, as well as disguises this test run as a course to remember your life prior to the memory loss incident.
Your body and environment are under illusion to cover harsh truth."
Library in the Office area
Setting
Locations & Meanings
Initially, the facility had 3 main areas:
- Warehouse
- Office
- The lab
The idea was to mimic supposed life stages of the "patient" in order to recover his memory, him being a student working in a warehouse, then office work in his 30's with the lab being his last work place.
But due to the call from artists that this is an overscope, we've cut the warehouse and replaced it with a transition area between the other two.
Locations & Meanings
Initially, the facility had 3 main areas:
- Warehouse
- Office
- The lab
The idea was to mimic supposed life stages of the "patient" in order to recover his memory, him being a student working in a warehouse, then office work in his 30's with the lab being his last work place.
But due to the call from artists that this is an overscope, we've cut the warehouse and replaced it with a transition area between the other two.
Shock Value
Sometimes during exploration, the player breaks out of the illusion and sees the grim reality, but only for a brief moment.
That way the interest of the player is preserved up until the end, when the illusion breaks for good and all.
Sometimes during exploration, the player breaks out of the illusion and sees the grim reality, but only for a brief moment.
That way the interest of the player is preserved up until the end, when the illusion breaks for good and all.
Characters
Description
Our two characters are:
- The Silent Protagonist
He’s been turned into a machine with brains being the only organic thing that’s left of him.
- The Overseeing “AI”
Once a human, turned himself into a brain that controls the facility in an attempt to achieve immortality. humorous, upbeat and cynical.
The Narrator
The only voice the player will hear is that of the overseeing "AI", so it has been crucial to write and voice him properly.
His witty comments set the positive side of the overall tone of the game.
Description
Our two characters are:
- The Silent Protagonist
He’s been turned into a machine with brains being the only organic thing that’s left of him.
- The Overseeing “AI”
Once a human, turned himself into a brain that controls the facility in an attempt to achieve immortality. humorous, upbeat and cynical.
The Narrator
The only voice the player will hear is that of the overseeing "AI", so it has been crucial to write and voice him properly.
His witty comments set the positive side of the overall tone of the game.
Monologues
Workflow
After establishing characters, setting and synopsis, we've laid out main events of the story and given puzzle designers general instructions on what each puzzle should contain story-wise.
Then I, with the help of my colleague, have started writing "AI's" monologues, he comments on every area and task the player performs.
Workflow
After establishing characters, setting and synopsis, we've laid out main events of the story and given puzzle designers general instructions on what each puzzle should contain story-wise.
Then I, with the help of my colleague, have started writing "AI's" monologues, he comments on every area and task the player performs.
The Sound You Can Hear
Technical Side
Pipeline
This project was the first time I've worked with FMOD, and though at that time I didn't know what automation is and what it can do, I've spent a lot of time and effort on the sound for the game.
My process of implementing sounds went like this:
- Suffer surf through freesound.org in a hope to find much needed sounds, since I don't have any hardware to record them properly
- Cut and tweak them in Audition
- Put them in FMOD Studio and, usually, add pitch and volume modulation
- Implement them in UE4
Example
Take a look at my FMOD Studio setup for this project:
Technical Side
Pipeline
This project was the first time I've worked with FMOD, and though at that time I didn't know what automation is and what it can do, I've spent a lot of time and effort on the sound for the game.
My process of implementing sounds went like this:
- Suffer surf through freesound.org in a hope to find much needed sounds, since I don't have any hardware to record them properly
- Cut and tweak them in Audition
- Put them in FMOD Studio and, usually, add pitch and volume modulation
- Implement them in UE4
Example
Take a look at my FMOD Studio setup for this project:
I've made a modulated hit impact sound for every interactable object, added office ambient sound and implemented different footstep sounds for each surface the player might walk on.
Voice Over
Voice Actor
The game has 35 voice lines recorded by a fellow friend of one of our team members.
Since he is from the US, the time zones haven't been in our favor, but we've made it non the less.
Applications
Voice lines are triggered either within certain areas, after certain actions or in the final cut-scene.
Voice Actor
The game has 35 voice lines recorded by a fellow friend of one of our team members.
Since he is from the US, the time zones haven't been in our favor, but we've made it non the less.
Applications
Voice lines are triggered either within certain areas, after certain actions or in the final cut-scene.