— PROJECT NAME
Forest of Forgiveness
— ROLE
Game Designer | Producer
— DATE
10/2016 – 05/2017
"8 months"
Forest of Forgiveness is a narrative-driven demo developed by Teapot Studio that explores the concept of the life cycle and death through a child’s perspective. Set in a serene, ethereal forest, the project aims to de-stigmatize the narrative of loss by transforming it into a peaceful journey of understanding and emotional discovery.
The game utilizes a carefully crafted “naive” art style, characterized by vibrant colors and soft lighting, specifically chosen to counteract the dark connotations often associated with the theme. Every environment was designed to evoke a sense of calm and curiosity, using Environmental Storytelling to guide the player through the forest’s lore without the need for heavy dialogue.
As the lead designer, I ensured that the bright aesthetics worked in harmony with the gentle puzzle-solving pace to create a cohesive, poetic experience where the world itself acts as a guide to the game’s philosophy.
My Role & Responsibilities
- - World Building and Narrative Design: Created the game’s lore, character archetypes, and narrative arc, focusing on emotional resonance and metaphorical storytelling.
- -Environmental Storytelling: Designed level layouts where the scenery and visual cues reveal the underlying story of the forest.
- - Systems Design: Defined core mechanics, controls, and the overall game loop.
- - Production and vision Keeper: Managed milestones, task distribution, and schedules to ensure team alignment between creative and technical goals.
- - Level & Puzzle Design: Authored all puzzle mechanics, focusing on logical progression and thematic consistency.
- - Technical Art & Programming: Created low-poly assets and implemented environment elements and sound triggers in Unity.
The Challenge:
Balancing the "Flow"
The most significant challenge was calibrating the puzzle difficulty for our target audience. Initial playtesting revealed that several puzzles caused player anxiety, breaking the intended peaceful atmosphere of the game.
“Puzzles”
The Solution: Applying Flow Theory
To fix this, I conducted a deep dive into Flow Theory to find the “sweet spot” between anxiety and boredom:
- - Data Analysis: Analyzed playtesting sessions to identify specific friction points where players felt stuck.
- - Iterative Redesign: Re-balanced the difficulty curve, simplifying mechanical execution while maintaining the satisfaction of the “eureka” moment.
- - Validation: Conducted a second round of playtesting with adjusted puzzles. The results showed a significant improvement in player retention and emotional resonance, with testers completing challenges without frustration.
Gameplay images
Gameplay images
Gameplay images
Gameplay images
Design Programs
- Coda
- Docs drive
- AdobeXD
Productivity Programs
- - Trello
- - Slack
- - Source Tree
Game Engine
- - Unity
Other Programs
- Autodesk Maya
- Blender
- Adobe Photoshop