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INTERACTIVE MEDIA
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The Voyager
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Date Completed: 5/6/20​
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Client/Course: Video Game Design Studio
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Project Desc: This project was a collaborative effort between myself and two peers. We were tasked with designing, programming, and creating a fully playable video game (of any genre) within a full semester’s time. The end result was The Voyager, a top-down puzzle-adventure game. I - as the producer, artist, and assistant designer - designed many of the game’s core mechanics, created assets and animations, and led the team through various stages of the game’s development. The project’s programmer was Samuel “Sam” Sergio, and Daniel “Dan” Thompson was the lead designer.
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Issues Encountered: As an artist, I found myself struggling to come up with a consistent, satisfying aesthetic for the game. Throughout development, the game underwent several shifts in perspective, which also put a strain on my artistic abilities and output. The top-down perspective that we’d ultimately decided on was (at the time) very unfamiliar to me, which also affected my work. As an assistant designer, I faced several issues when going into the project; I’d created the initial pitch for the game, and - though many of the game’s mechanics remained - the team decided to take the game in a very different direction. As a first time producer, I encountered many, many issues throughout the development process - from the programmer needing more time to learn how to implement certain features, to the lead designer needing additional assistance with level design, etc. Halfway through the game’s development, the COVID-19 pandemic was also beginning to surface, which resulted in various changes to the team and workflow.
Solution: Most of the problems that we faced were solved in one of two ways: As a team, or by my own volition. Though the workload was unevenly distributed, every milestone and deadline was met. The team met frequently to discuss any concerns, and we all did our best given our unfavorable circumstances. In response to COVID - and my own over-ambition - we decided to cut planned content and rework some of the game’s features.
Skills: This project required intermediate skills in concept art and pixel art creation. Additionally, I learned how to better lead a team in unpredictable circumstances, how to properly receive criticism, and make decisions that would result in the best outcome for the team and the project.
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