The Pathfinder IP
This project was created during a 13-week intensive narrative design course by Gamedesignskills. During the course, we wrote our own fictional game world, covering aspects such as world building, gamemap design, location design, dialogue writing, character design, attack design, barks, interactive dialogue branching, and narrative systems. I used my original IP (a sci-fi story) for the sake of the project, and brought my story to life through this course which I'm eternally grateful for - I am publishing now some pieces from the full project in my concept art and narrative design portfolio.
Cover art. The story is set in an alternative version of New Orleans in the year 2118, 78 years after the Great Flood that inundated most of the city, splitting it in two. The backstory allowed me to combine neoclassical architecture with swampy terrain and create a fictional city, called Orleans, with temporary scaffolding and flood barriers dotted here and there, to symbolize resilience, survival and remembrance. Traditions of the past have been washed away (pun intended) by the new era, and new ones have emerged.
1. Mellow Mockingbird Diner
This is the first location that our player visits to meet the leader character, Journey Dawn, to receive instructions and be given quests. Bear in mind that the city is under a permanent flood alert, so the environment design reflects this. This location is also the first place to pick up ammunition — the diner doubles as a secret weapon storage location (as well as being a diner and bar). The main structure and shape had to be designed in such a way as to allow the leader character to keep an eye on unusual sightings or people around — hence the hexagonal shape. On top of the diner is a small attic, designed to be as a secret ammunition storage.
2. Sol y Sangre (Herbal Store)
Without a place to heal, your character will not survive for long. Even better if this particular healing place has its own character and, with its amber-colored windows shines out of the fog like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Sol y Sangre may just be an herbal shop by name, but it is much more than that - it has a great thematic foundation: sunlight and blood, herbal medicine, rebirth after decay. Its appearance combines neoclassical stylistic features with the character of its Spanish owner, who brings her own touch. A bit of white witch energy, candles in glass bottles, dried herbs hanging from the ceiling, old handwritten sigils symbolize the place's healing power.
3. Lazy Lucy's Laundry
When your city is hit by a 349-day flood and its image is reshaped, it is inevitable that certain buildings and functions will become unusable and either be transformed or left to decay. This is what happened to this petrol station, which had been practically unused for decades due to the flooded roads, until Amos Livingston turned it into a laundromat. He kept many of its original features, such as the petrol pumps and roofs, and used rainwater to power the washing machines. He ran some dubious businesses behind these walls, too, but we won't talk about those for now...
This is also our First Quest Pickup Location.
4. Hawthorne Cinema
There were buildings that were 'officially' abandoned, mainly because of their difficult accessibility. Unofficially, though, the Hawthorne Cinema did have a resident, for whom the abandonment and swampy surroundings were ideal – the town just called her Pig Lady because of the large number of pigs she lived with within the walls of the cinema. The Hawthorne Cinema is also considered a safe location in the game, where the protagonist can rest, store his equipment, and learn about the story of Pig Lady, which is ideal for advancing the story and engaging in conversations. Players can also revisit their memories here, either on their own digital devices or on the cinema screen.
Cover Art: Uptown Theatre
