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The Unseen
Development of a sitting simulator in context of my bachelor’s degree.
Main Roles: Game Design and Development
Background
In this game, players engage with individuals who are often ignored in the Berlin metro, gradually uncovering their stories and personal backgrounds. Through these conversations, the once-invisible become visible, both in the game and in players’ awareness.
Goals
In my thesis, I was researching Procedural Rhetoric, the concept describing the way video games can use rules to communicate ideas and potentially produce behavioral changes.
Having players engage directly with the personal stories of homeless individuals in the game aims to humanize a social issue, allowing them to feel more connected to and compassionate towards people in similar situations in real life. Further, the game is supposed to encourage a deeper reflection on real-world social issues, challenging players to question their own beliefs and the systems that shape their perspectives.
Challenges
This project required managing a high workload as a solo developer, portraying homelessness with sensitivity, integrating nuanced procedural rhetoric, and crafting engaging gameplay that fosters empathy and awareness. These challenges were intensified by the responsibility of tackling a socially significant theme alone, making it crucial to navigate each aspect thoughtfully.
Genre: Sitting Simulator, Serious Game
Engine: Unity
Tools: Photoshop, Blender, Cinema 4D, After Effects
Team Size: 3
Duration: Jan 2019 – April 2019
Platform: PC
Awards & Recognition: Winner “Best Bachelor Project” (2019)
Role(s) and responsibilities
Researcher
Firstly, I conducted in-depth research on social invisibility, inequality, and discrimination. This includes understanding real stories from homeless individuals, societal perceptions, and the root causes of homelessness. I was able to interview people who have experienced homelessness to incorporate authentic stories.
Narrative Designer
Developing compelling, respectful, and nuanced dialogue that captures the realities of homelessness and societal attitudes, based on research insights, was important to ensure an authentic story line. The complete Interaction is designed to add layers to the player’s understanding, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and situations of affected individuals.
Narrative Design was also Level Design for this project, since the conversations progresses the game. Every conversation has different possible outcomes because of a decision tree. While some Games were falsely advertising that a different decision lead to a different outcome
For the purpose of the Game Design.
Game Designer
Ian Bogost’s Procedural Rhetoric focuses on using a game’s rules and mechanics to convey meaning. Instead of directly telling a story, the game’s systems reflect real-world dynamics, encouraging players to experience and understand complex issues through interaction. This approach lets players learn by engaging with the game’s structure, promoting critical thinking about real-world systems and issues.
All Game Mechanics were implemented based on this very concept to research it further. They were directly tailored to teach awareness and empathy towards other people.
I developed the structure of the player’s journey, such as how they navigate conversations, learn stories, and encounter new perspectives. The game’s core mechanics, flow, and player interactions were designed based on this theory.
Artist
After evaluating the time frame, it became clear that priority needs to be Game Design, so I chose a minimalist but aesthetic art style. My design of characters, the environment, and UI elements convey empathy and respect for the characters’ stories. The mood was set through a muted, realistic color scheme.
Quality Assurance
The game was playtested regularly in development to ensure it functions smoothly and achieves its emotional objectives. Towards the end of production, I implemented more testing and feedback from a more diverse group of testers. This gave me valuable insight, so I was able to go into a new direction in one of the main interactions.
