Blockades - Video Game
Game Design / Art: Feyyaz Sonbudak
Programming / Development: Yuxuan Liu
Sounds and Narrative: Haowei Yu
Programming / Development: Yuxuan Liu
Sounds and Narrative: Haowei Yu
While we were developing Dead Robots Society board game, we wanted to make a game that covers today's problem not future's. We try to imagine the perspective of a little girl, how she didn't care what other people think, how she felt when she has to obey the classroom rules... This game was our getaway from the real-world. And abstracting the meanings of objects was my favorite part of this process.
In this level, I use upside down umbrellas and 'helping hand' from a parent. I try to symbolize the protection that our parents present us while we were growing up. We were free, free to fly, free to think whatever we want and there was no consequences for failing.
The Classroom
I remember the first time I entered a classroom. I already knew writing and reading but my superpowers were useless here, I had to sit like everyone else and behave. My desk-mate was a little girl who wanted to paint-draw all day but she was getting warnings every time when she pull up the blank white paper. The reason was she has to learn to read and write. Her first written word was scratched on the desk: Help.
I have no memory of my first teacher and she looks like, looks like my brain overwritten that imagine. That's why I draw her like stereotypical old fashioned teacher.
Blockade
As a group we constantly try to imagine a little girl who is growing up and how is world alters around and inside her. Haowei, my group-mate, she mentioned that '' while I was growing up, I felt people were watching, observing me. And judging me.'' And I try to draw the level that captures the essence being watched and trapped.
Character Design
The initial character design of a little girl was this. But in the abstract world we created, this realistic/fantasy mixed contrasts was not fitting. So that instead of creating contrast with character, I abstracted even more.
Credits
Thanks to my dear friend Filiz Durgun to help me during this hard times. Her portfolio: https://www.artstation.com/filizdurgun
Yuxuan Liu is not a only super programmer but also a great thinker and his ideas on levels and character was take this game to next step. The level where we wanted to be.
