My Role - Lead Designer and Level Designer

• Conceptualised the game concept with 3 other designers while also incorporating UN Sustainable Development Goals. (This was a requirement for the Master's group project.)

• Coordinated with animators regarding level design. We developed a modular system to design a tree that the animator can model branches, and I can use to design the level for the tree. (The tree level was inspired by It takes two tree level.)

• Coordinated between the narrative designer and environment designer. Making sure that the narrative is reflected well in the environment and the story is conveyed subtly as the player explores the level.

• Coordinated between the environment designer and the animators to make sure the main Tree aesthetic and consistent with other decorative trees and the rest of the environment.

• Designed and implemented character controller and movement, in conjunction with the level design, as those two are inherently linked with each other.

• Gave guidance and debugged the code of the programmers in the team while also developing a significant portion of the code base. (The programmers in the team were inexperienced, so I helped them with Unity, giving them hints and motivation for them to succeed.)

• Wrote the Game Design Document for a full-scale version of the game in Conjunction with the other designers in the team.

Key Features -

• Incorporated UN Sustainability goal "Life on Land". This is shown through environmental storytelling about the impact of human actions on the environment and a baby red panda trying to survive in a desolate environment.

• Seamless integration of the main Tree level with the rest of the environment. 

• A mid-game power-up allowing the red panda to climb steeper branches towards the top of the tree.

Design Highlights -

• The story is conveyed by the environment/game-play and sound design. All 3 elements work together to create a sense of isolation and a bleak situation.

• The difficulty of the platforming sections is increased as the panda climbs higher by narrowing branches and spacing them apart, which also mimics the aesthetic of a naturally dying tree. This allows for an immersive level that doesn't distract the player by making the platforms obvious.

• At the top of the tree, a forest that survived is revealed through the hills, which shows the player the potential of the baby red panda making it to that location and possibly reuniting with its family.

Learning Outcomes -

• Balancing diverse ideas based on feasibility was essential in this first large-team project. With input coming from every team member, it became crucial to evaluate which concepts were practical and aligned with our scope, and to identify what would best serve the overall vision.

• How to inspire people to work when they are not motivated to do so. Since this was a college group project, many members weren't motivated, and it was essential to guide them with clues and motivate them at any progress they made to get their respective work done for the project.

• Learned how to take creative input from different disciplines, such as environmental design and animation, and coordinate and combine them into one cohesive product.