SpookTale

Overview

My final project for university was SpookTale, a game I created using the Unity Engine. The game takes players on a thrilling adventure as they journey back in time to help solve mysteries in an abandoned bar. With a cast of hilarious and bizarre characters, each with their own unique puzzle, players must explore a vast and immersive scene, utilizing the time warp mechanic to travel between the past and present to uncover clues and solve the mystery.

You can download the game here - https://starrrs.itch.io/spooktale

What is my role?

As the Lead Designer, Programmer, and Producer of a team of five, I played a wide range of roles in the creation of Spooktale. My responsibilities included managing and writing code, designing the game's overall structure and gameplay features, hosting play-testing sessions, receiving and implementing feedback, delegating tasks, following up on work, and overseeing version control through Git-Hub.

I had the privilege of collaborating with an incredibly skilled team, where each member generously supported one another. Together, they tackled a range of tasks, including 3D modeling, art direction, texturing, shading, narrative, lighting, and even some programming features.

Design process and Iteration

The development of Spooktale involved numerous significant alterations, including a complete overhaul at one stage. The Narrative Designer's primary objective was to craft a game centered around emotions, and how they can impact an individual's perception of their surroundings. In the game, players would discover objects and characters that would evoke either positive or negative emotions, which would, in turn, alter the game's visuals, environment, and interactions.

Despite numerous playtests, we and the players just couldn't seem to connect with the game. We were running out of time and needed to act swiftly and resourcefully. While keeping our existing assets and code, we opted to alter the game's design. Instead of emotions ranging from high to low, we switched to a past and present theme. This adaptation allowed us to retain our hard work while transforming the game's overall tone. Our team demonstrated remarkable resilience, adapting to the situation and ultimately succeeding with the revised game design.

You can view our full presentation slides here: SpookTale Slides

Publishing and Marketing

Our team's hard work paid off, and we received excellent marks, a source of immense pride for both myself and my colleagues. In addition, we had an amazing opportunity to showcase our game to the public at the ACMI showcase. We created a dedicated stand, observed players engaging with our game in real-time, and conversed with those interested in our creation. This experience provided an excellent platform to market our game and yielded a wealth of positive feedback.