Ray of Hope
2023.08
Role:
Designer
Team Leader
Skills:
Mechanic Design
Gameplay Design
Narrative Design
Creating BGM by using AI Tools
Here is the link of itch:
Ray of Hope
You can Try it!
Overview
"Ray of Hope" is an entry for the Game for Good Game Jam 2023. The creative inspiration came from the theme of the Game for Good Game Jam 2023. It is a 3D simulation game where players take on the role of a member of a rescue team. The mission is to assist workers and repair teams in safely evacuating from hazardous areas following a nuclear power plant explosion. In the end, players will be faced with various choices. We hope to reflect our understanding of the theme: 'Rescue, Mutual Assistance, and Spreading Hope'.
Game Trailer
Narrative Design and Background
The theme of this Game Jam was an image of "two hands clasped together" (as shown in the picture on the right). As the team leader and designer, I swiftly defined the game's theme as "Rescue, Mutual Assistance, and Spreading Hope". I quickly drafted a GDD and the backstory. In the initial design, players take on the role of the "Lighthouse Guide", guiding workers to evacuate in the sea area after a nuclear power plant explosion. We employed multiple techniques to immerse players in the role. For instance, we added sticky notes to the Pause UI detailing the controls, and dialogue boxes would appear when ships left the area to encourage the player. This significantly reduced the players' learning curve. The multiple endings introduced choices: whether the player is willing to sacrifice their time to guide the last few ships out of the danger zone, aligning with our interpretation of the theme, "spreading hope." We later decided to change the Lighthouse Guide role to a helicopter rescue team, making it more aligned with real-life scenarios.
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, we use a first-person perspective to emit a beam of light. Players move the beam with the mouse, control the aircraft using the WASD keys, ascend and descend with the C and V keys, respectively, and the Q key opens the pause menu. Our game simulates a rescue helicopter, using the beam to guide ships to a safe zone within a specified time. For level design, we included obstacles, but considering difficulty factors, we decided to remove damage from the reefs. The level features multiple endings. Whether you continue to guide ships after the battery is depleted, or complete the task before the battery runs out, different outcomes will be triggered. This can provoke players to reflect and make choices.
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