Synopsis: A short, cozy and emotional game about a paperboat finding its way back home.
The goal was to create a complete game experience that resonates emotionally with the player through a narrative that doesn’t use text or dialog.
Overview
- Type: schoolproject
- Duration: 5 months
- Primary Roles: programming, mechanic & level design, playtesting, narrative
- Team: Gameartist, 2 Audiodesigners, Gamedesigner (Myself)
- Engine: Unity
- Other tools: Sourcecontrol (Fork + Github), Miro, Ableton 10
Link to the game: kimzalabim.itch.io
(Page still in progress)
1. Gameplay:
- Sketching, blockout, and scripting level design, integrating them into the narrative arc and testing them for narrative transfer and player enjoyment.
- Prototyping and playtesting the game mechanics (e.g., hand pickup, singing flowers, rat-friend) and the environmental puzzles for intuitiveness and player enjoyment.
2. (Wordless) Narrative:
- Researched media (games, animation films) to convey emotion and narrative through color, environments & gameplay.
- Developed and iterated on the game’s narrative arc, integrating seasonal themes and metaphors into levels and mechanics, while adjusting for scope.
3. Sole designer and developer:
- Conceptualizing and defining the project and directing the artist and audio-designers to further the creative vision.
- Scripted the gamesystems, like dynamic-audio zones and implementing art and audio assets.
- Setting up a modular workflow for easy level & mechanic prototyping.
Kim reinders folmer - Gamedesign 