Niv Khurana
Project Goals
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Practicing rapid development and prototyping skills
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Learning a new engine (GameMaker)
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Working as an extension of an existing IP
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Creating a polished final product on a short deadline
Research & Planning
Design
The game is based on the indie comic Eventide. As the comic is in early production, I contacted co-author Sparroet, to enquire about the planned ending of the series. Based on the synopsis he provided, I planned to create a point-and-click adventure for the ending of the comic. Having used GameMaker only once previously, my focus for this game was to learn UI, writing and art implimentation in the engine, thus focusing more on the storytelling and visuals, while keeping the gameplay light. I planned to show the perspective of the main characters in the final leg of their journey, seeking the magical flower. I wanted to use the limited dialogue and artwork to serve as intrigue for the players, while not giving away major elements that had not yet been revealed in the comic. The goal of this project was to interest players in the source material of Eventide.
Art
Eventide's background style is realistic and uses natural colours. Due to the time constraints, I decided to take a heavily stylised approach to the artwork for Eventide Adventure. The use of bold lines and strong colours is intended to serve the mystery and emotions of the game, and I believe would also draw players towards seeking out the source material.
Development Process
Art and Writing
During the research stage, I identified mountain regions as the setting for the end of the story. Based on this, I planned out what could be obstacles faced by the main characters, and how to impliment these in a way that would not give away who of the cast was currently still in play. Based on this, I created a set of scenes, both for the success and failure to choose the right path. The scenes were rendered in greyscale initially and then, using gradient maps, coloured into their final palettes according to what would be visually striking for players to encounter.
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The writing was done simultaneously to this, primarily in implimentation and coding of it. Initially I wrote summaries of the emotions that each scene should describe, before cutting them down to match the language of the comic and age group of the intended audience.
What Went Right
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Project was finished in within the initial deadline.
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Game was tested and playable across different screen sizes in browser
What I Learnt
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I was able to develop my skills and practice in using GameMaker
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I was able to develop my skills in concept art, visual direction and writing
What Went Wrong
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Complex textboxes were not implimented due to lack of time
How I Overcame It
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Text was rewritten in order to fit the single-box limit that was possible, and implimented as part of the UI to look natural