- NoöDiver -
Project Description
NoöDiver is a short work of interactive fiction built in TWINE that I developed in tandem with a research paper during my graduation phase. The project explores the use of layered game mechanics and interactivity in text games and other hyper-fiction to convey narrative and challenge interpretation.
- Narrative Design // Game Design // 2D Art // Programming - Google Chrome // PC - HTML5 // CSS3 // JS - 2016 // 5 months // Solo Project -
Project Role
Working solo, my role was about effectively managing time, information, and ideas rather than a particular specialist task. I was also responsible for pitching the initial research goal and working platform/methods based on collected references, setting terms defining the end product and its development schedule.
Finally, I coordinated with a composer remotely to create background and ambient sounds for the game. (Please see the bottom of the page for more information)
Challenges
My dual role as researcher and developer created tension in time commitment - following my interests and finding rational stopping points. As a designer, reconciling the writing of the game's narrative with concepts for game mechanics/systems was an ongoing battle. While I learned and iterated, both emerged and changed naturally; bleeding across into one another. There are mountains of material written on storytelling in games and breaking down text through structural narratology. The most challenging part of researching was filtering my own information intake as suitable for a short academic document.
In creating NoöDiver I put myself through a technical bootcamp, learning the details of HTML, CSS, and Javascript and how they are implemented into the TWINE platform. (To say nothing of dealing with TWINE's own limitations and technical workarounds.)
Goals and Outcome
The aim of the project was to gain insight into the evolution of interactive (text) fiction as a genre, and how authors have adapted as platforms evolved more in depth technical possibilities. Specifically, the use of game mechanics to create change the way written fiction is typically consumed and interpreted.
NoöDiver was created in an attempt to innovate based on these observations and the critical analysis of their implementations. For me personally, the project was an opportunity to build a narrative from the ground up and experiment with systems design, as well as work on my writing skills. As a result, usability and typical playtesting was not a priority - which works as both a strength thematically and a weakness when introducing the game to audiences.
