DARK SOIL
Dark Soil is a 2D point-and-click game demo, set during a war in a fictional Slavic world. The player must navigate two worlds, one inspired by a fantastical folktale, and the other a horror version of the world. The journey is told from the perspective of a traumatized child searching for its parents in this confusing world.
Bachelor project, Demo
Subjects: UX/UI, Writing, Conceptualization, Marketing, Trailer, Iteration process
Tools: Unity, Adventure creator, Miro, Figma, Jira
Time: 5 months, 3PPl
Role: Narrative Design, Dialogue, Research, UX Testing
ROLE
In this final bachelor project, I created a workflow that incorporates the UX process into a narrative driven game. The goal was to create an ominous and atmosphere driven environment. With the limitations our team had, we wanted to make sure that our messages and subtext as well as the mechanically minimalistic gameplay is understandable and engaging for the player.
LEARNING PROCESS
My learning process included various methods for testing story, environment, and puzzles. From this testing I build up specific methods for the interactions within dialogue as well as assistance for adjustments for the artists and musician.
This process ensured for our team to have control over what we create and set better priorities.
Testing story and puzzles is considered extremely challenging in comparison to testing mechanic driven games, but that is why I enjoyed it so much.
The biggest challenge however was to create a story not beforehand but at the same time as the level, puzzles and art was created.
WRITING
The writing of Dark Soil aims to emphasize the Slavic mythology setting and vary between different age groups to bring the world and it's characters to life. To optimize user engagement a rythm with around 2 sentences works best for our game.
Incorporating subtle foreshadowing techniques to sow the seeds of impending horror events heightens the narrative's suspense. Additionally, a deeper emphasis on the mother's role, coupled with descriptive flavor text that delves into the character's inner motivations, serves to enrich the overall storytelling experience.
ART
Creating conceptual and artistic artwork for the game's narrative key sequences is a fascinating and integral part of the game's development. As a visual storyteller, I’m tasked with translating the essence of the game's world, characters, and plot into captivating visuals, conveying emotions, motivations, and the overarching storyline. The main focus lies on immersing players in the game's world, enriching the storytelling experience.
UX
Undertaking UX research and design for Dark Soil is an essential part of the development process. I’m creating immersive user journies revolving around crafting seamless, player-centric experiences that enhance the storytelling aspect of the game. An essential part to achieve that, is gathering and using insights through user testings and transforming them into user interfaces that facilitate an effortless and enjoyable gaming experience. The design menus, HUD elements, and interactive mechanics need to seamlessly blend with the narrative, allowing players to interact with the story in a natural and immersive way.
Game Demo
Our demo is now available on itch.io to play for free.
This demo represents the status of the game as of the end of july 2023. Future updates are in the works and coming soon.
© 2023 by Mascha Hlushchenko