Welcome to the first part of my project series, where I’ll share my journey as I develop personal projects from initial ideas to finished products. I’m excited to open up about my thoughts and processes and wanted to start off this series with an ongoing interest I've had with game design and narration. I hope I can provide value to anyone interested and will also create a list of tools and resources I've found and used along the way.
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Ok, so the first thing I did was asking myself several key questions:
What game platform should I use?
What type of game do I want to create?
What's the concept and story?
After researching the numerous game development platforms available, I chose Twine 2, an open-source tool for creating interactive fiction.
Twine reminded me of the Choose Your Own Adventure books I loved as a kid, and I wanted to create a similarly immersive experience. While some might not see Twine as a “real” game platform, I believe it’s a fantastic way to learn the basics of game development and storytelling. Its user-friendly interface allows me to focus on narrative and game mechanics without needing advanced coding skills.
To deepen my understanding, I immersed myself in the genre by reading books on game design and playing classic text-based games like Zork and The Dreamhold. Exploring other Twine titles helped me see the platform's potential, especially with some coding, which opens up new levels of player interaction. This exploration has inspired me to learn more about coding to enhance my skills as a designer.
After deciding on the platform and my research done, I outlined my game concept and objective. Here's a summary:
Echoes is an immersive, explorative interactive fiction experience blending puzzle-solving with narrative exploration. Set in a near-futuristic high-security facility, players take on the role of Prisoner 7, who awakens in a mysterious cell with no recollection of his past.
The objective is for players to uncover the clues to your identity and imprisonment by solving puzzles and escaping.
To stay on track and hold myself accountable, I created a project plan with a three-month runway (realistic or not, we'll see). Using tools like ChatGPT for outlining and project management, I broke down the game into smaller chapters to speed up the process and allow for future expansions.
I envisioned the game’s aesthetics early on an was drawn to a semi-futuristic, dark, slightly horror, and occultist feel—think Big Brother with a sinister twist. I created a mood board on Pinterest to get an idea of what I may be looking for.
So far, I’ve started building out a game document to clarify the direction, outlining the concept, story, characters, and game mechanics. Here are some key elements:
Characters:
Protagonist: Dr. Marcus Hale, aka Prisoner 7, a former neuroscientist subjected to brutal neural experiments.
Antagonist: Dr. Harold Voss, CEO of The Bernay Group and architect of Project Ascension.
Game Mechanics:
Surveillance System Interaction: Players can control security cameras to uncover clues.
Puzzle Solving: Various puzzles, including logic, code-breaking, and item combination.
"Echo" Ability: A unique mechanic revealing hidden messages and environmental changes.
To support the game's feel, I created the logo you saw at the top of this post using Affinity Design and the mini-trailer below using Capcut . If you want to hear the trailer with sound, I posted it on my Instagram account.
Next, I will be working on:
Designing the story and game narrative, developing the plot, and backstories.
Planning and mapping out the game and mechanics
Character development and sketches.
Integrating audio and video elements for a more immersive experience.
Stay tuned for more updates, and feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. Your support and input mean a lot to me! If you’re interested in following along with my progress, make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for the next update!
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