Nathan Eyles Game Design
Samantha No More
As the player, you are encouraged to explore the environment, and keep an eye out for the missing Samantha. Journey deep into this abandoned place to unlock the secrets within. As this project is intended to be an extension of the fictional TV show, the ending is left intentionally ambiguous, as we envisioned this game to be released between episodes.
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The biggest hurdle I faced with this piece was the dialogue between the characters. The title characters are 14/15 years old, whereas I am not that age, so it was a bit tricky to find that sweet spot between engaging dialogue that fit their ages. After a lot of iteration, I eventually found the right fit, and managed to create two unique personalities for the characters. To keep things timeless, I intentionally avoided any modern language to make the time period ambiguous.
Team of 2
2 designers.
Time period
10 weeks.
Equipment
Unreal Engine 5
Maya
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Duties/Roles
Level/Game Design
-Prototyped and created the shopping centre level with connecting rooms and air ducts.
Puzzle Design
-Created a series of related puzzles for the player to solve.
-Iterated on puzzle design to perfect.
Narrative Design
-Created script for the two characters.
-Iterated on script based on feedback and design changes.
This assignment involved working with a fellow classmate to create a game based on a chosen brief. The brief we chose was to create a narrative tie in experience for an upcoming fictional television show titled 'Samantha No More' aimed at the teenage/young adult market.
The brief was relatively light on information. The only information provided was that the game was intended as a companion piece to the 'TV show', and that it was to be aimed at a teenage audience.
My teammate and I chose to go in a science fiction direction, similar to that of the hit TV show Stranger Things to create an immersive experience for the player. The game is set within an abandoned shopping centre, and revolves around 2 friends Mathilda and Jeremy, along with you the player, on their search for their missing friend Samantha. The game play begins as the trio enter the shopping centre. Interact with the environment, and engage with the characters to learn more about them, the shopping centre, and Samantha.
Within this title we added some simple puzzle mechanics. We designed everything to be very simple, due to the fact that it was a TV tie in show. We didn't want to alienate any potential players with difficult mechanics or puzzles. Keeping things simplistic initially proved to be a problem. It was difficult to find that right balance. As with the dialogue though, through a lot of iteration, we found the right balance for the project.
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Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience to work on.
