Still…
Still... is an interpretive game experience about getting through the struggle of daily living, where players move through different rooms and dodge projectiles.
This project aims to capture disassociation and how that can impact even the normal day-to-day responsibilities.
Ellie Clendenning (Programming), Cassie Hui (Visuals, Narrative, and Project Management), Munro Provine (Audio and Level Design), and I (UIUX & Asset Design) worked to blend a bullet hell game with a narrative experience.
Gameplay
In Still... players use the Arrow Keys to dodge and navigate through each level to finish chores that progress each level.
By the end, players should get the sense that the struggles of making it through each day of life is simply an ever-repeating cycle.
Character Assets
The characters design is a simple, spinning hexagon with a melancholy look in its center, mimic games like geometry dash while adding create a contrasting look.
I also had a hand in creating the assets that populated each room, representing various chores and familiar everyday items.
Negative Space
In this project, I challenged myself to take away some of the user interfaces to keep the game visually minimalistic.
The character is designed to only display its health via a fading opacity in its sprite and damage effects.
Subtle player feedback and negative space allowed for a greater focus on the narrative and gameplay.
User Interface
Text effects like fade-ins and shakiness were scripted to give the user interface an elevated emotional impact.
Minimal UI for gameplay helps give the game greater immersion.
Playtesting
Through the use of playtests, we were able to gauge the difficulty of the game and also see how clear and open-ended our narrative experience was felt by players.
These ultimately help us make improvements to the narrative interpretation and visual design of the project.
