The Art of Videogames
| |
| Design | Level Design · Narrative Design · Puzzle Design · Writing |
|---|---|
| Programming | Gameplay Programming |
| Genre | Narrative |
At the end of my English course I could present on any topic, so I chose games. Instead of slides, I thought, “What if I used a game to present the idea of games as art?” The result is a narrative walking simulator that makes the argument by being one, ending in a puzzle challenge.
I made it alone in RPG Maker, writing every line and designing all 32 levels.
The project
At the end of my English course I could give a presentation on any subject, and I chose video games as art. Instead of slides, I made a game in English that makes the argument itself: a narrative walking simulator where the player learns about games to save Towney from an evil vampire, ending in a puzzle challenge.
It was my way of letting the medium speak for itself. The game makes the argument by being what it argues for. It shows every aspect of games, uses music from many different games, and tries to be beautiful. It tells a story, with interesting characters, funny and sad moments, and backstories, and it proves games can teach by teaching.
It also had to work for the person playing it in class: my teacher, who wasn’t a gamer. That’s why it’s a walking simulator. Anyone could walk through it, and no challenge could stop the presentation halfway.
My role
I was the solo developer. The goal was a complete narrative experience, built alone in RPG Maker, that I could present to the class.
What I did
Everything except the art and audio assets is mine: all 32 levels, the puzzles and every line of dialogue. The game’s logic is built almost entirely with RPG Maker’s event scripting, apart from a few short JavaScript calls: 32 maps, 1,782 event pages and about 8,700 event commands.
Story structure. A storyline variable tracks the player’s progress through the main story, with separate threads for side characters such as Julia and the Captain.
The villain, Selene, is a vampire because she drains the happiness from the villages. She’s an immortal being who has corrupted the meaning of games. Her powers turn out to be a curse as well: at the end of the game, Roger becomes the vampire.
Staging. I staged scenes with move routes, map transfers and pictures, and set the mood with weather, dynamic lighting and timed events.
Levels and puzzles. I designed all 32 levels and built the puzzles, including position tracking for red, blue and yellow objects, backed by an in-game hint system.
Writing. I wrote all of the dialogue, 1,145 messages and 48 choices.
Outcome
I presented it as my final presentation for the course. My class found it very creative, though they only saw a small part of the game. The longplay video shows the rest. It isn’t publicly playable because it uses copyrighted content.
If I made it for a presentation again, I’d cut about 95% of it. It would be a linear experience instead of a town full of different choices, and any walking would be close to a straight line.
Screenshots from the game’s longplay video.
- Due to the various copyrighted content used in the creation of the game, I will not be making the game publicly playable.