Summer Narrative Prototype
This is a third-person psychological horror game where you play as Jack, a 10-year-old boy struggling to cope with the tragic loss of his family. You'll explore your home after the incident, attempting to free the soul of your family members. Along the way, you’ll receive help from someone claiming to be your "brother" — but is he really?
My role...
This project was my second experience as a narrative designer. Eager to deepen my understanding of the craft, a few classmates and I decided to create a narrative-driven game over the summer of 2024. My role in the project involved developing the characters, their backstories, and the world they inhabit. I also took on the responsibilities of a writer.
I was particularly interested in exploring branching narratives, so I used Twine and enjoyed the process of creating and testing the game solely within the app.
The Characters
Given the horror and psychological themes, it was important to evoke these feelings subtly or directly in the player’s mind. I used the characters' names to convey these themes, even subconsciously. Similarly, the names of the town and its inhabitants reflect the psychological and supernatural elements. Each name is derived from words connected to the mind or ghostly concepts. For instance, "Naaporia" originates from "Paranoia," "Scyophiss" from "Psychosis," and "Mathaspan" from "Phantasma." I took each word, found its Latin equivalent, and rearranged the letters to create unique names.
Due to the project’s limited scope and time constraints, I focused on three primary characters that the player encounters: the mom, dad, sister, and the mysterious "brother" alongside the main character, Jack. To simplify production, they share the same rig and have similar animations, allowing us to streamline the animation process without sacrificing quality.
In the story, after the tragic incident, these family members’ souls have forgotten Jack. Jack’s task is to reconnect with them and help them remember their bond.
Backstory (The Links)
Jack reconnects with each family member through an object that holds emotional significance for both of them. For example, Jack’s father, once a poor man, achieved his dream of wealth and now travels often for work. During his travels, he collects postcards from each destination and gives them to Jack as cherished mementos. In the game, Jack must locate this collection of postcards to reconnect with his father and free his soul. Jack must repeat this process for each family member, using meaningful objects to rekindle their memories and release them.
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