A MOST VIOLENT YEAR

In 'A Most Violent Year,' become Magistrate Shen, a dishonored detective in a fading Chinese dynasty.
Uncover your corrupt hometown's secrets as you navigate a web of power and deceit in this 3D isometric RPG

August 2022 - Present | Team size: 14

I took on a central role in building a new IP from the ground up. Collaborating closely with Art and Design leadership, we collectively envisioned the game's settings, characters, aspirational player fantasies, overarching themes, and gameplay loop. This immersive process allowed us to craft a cohesive and engaging narrative that would serve as the foundation of our game.

As narrative designer, I took ownership of all writing aspects for the project, ensuring that every element, from in-game dialogue to prose narration, cinematics, locations, characters, skills attributes, and equipment descriptions, met shippable quality standards.

During the early stages of development, I utilized something akin to traditional screenplay format for both gameplay and cinematic scripts. This approach proved invaluable in effectively communicating my creative vision to the art team, allowing for a vivid visual representation of the game's narrative.

The intricacies of managing branching narratives within a traditional screenplay format proved to be a significant hurdle. It became clear that a more adaptable and collaborative approach was needed. As a result, we transitioned to tools like Articy and Miro to streamline the creation of branching dialogue and narrative content, ensuring a more efficient and dynamic development process.

These platforms not only facilitated a more programmer-friendly approach but also allowed for the seamless implementation of our skill check and currency system directly into Unity. This transition marked a significant milestone in our development process, streamlining our ability to create an engaging and interactive player experience.

I spearheaded the creation of rich, multidimensional in-game characters, crafting an extensive volume of character sheets. This comprehensive approach, driven by close collaboration with our art team, was instrumental in crafting authentic and memorable characters, with the ultimate goal of realizing an immersive game world for our players.

Backstories served as the cornerstone of our process, infusing characters with motivations, actions, and depth that enriched the overarching plot. Mood boards, serving as visual references, played a pivotal role in defining the character's intertextual references and influencing art direction.

After an unexpected loss in our team, I assumed the role of managing mission design. Additionally, resource constraints forced us to limit our central conflict to a single estate, a departure from our original vision of an entire village.

Drawing upon my screenwriting experience and taking inspiration from single-location cinematic works like 'Yojimbo,' I approached this constraint as an opportunity to craft a mission that maximized narrative depth, player engagement, and storytelling within our constrained boundaries.