Background

Every year I spend a long weekend readying a game for teaching and delivery to my students; I want learners to understand that creating their first 3D game project needn't be daunting. I want them to see what I can achieve in 3 days, so they can spend 10 weeks crafting their own imaginative gaming experiences with all the confidence needed for their amazingly creative ideas!

This year's effort, My Dearest Alex, is a little different due, in no small part, to the ravishes of the pandemic. While development started back in 2020, this small experiential game took roughly the same amount of time to create, albeit with a release date almost 12 months later down the line.

Each year, I have attempted to demonstrate something different to the last; the prior project, Sakoban 2077, was a third-person, cyberpunkian slide puzzle game. This academic year, I wanted something more meditative and present; an idea that expressed the reality of the 'here and now' rather than the forward-focused vision of Sakoban 2077; a contemplation on the emotional narrative complexities of gaming, eschewing the more simple, fluid action of the former title.

Inspirations

Playing numerous 'walking simulator' titles over the past 12 months has definitely pushed the direction of the project. I would heartily recommend the following titles for those who enjoy a complex, story-rich gaming experience:

• Dear Esther
• What Remains of Edith Finch
• Gone Home
• A Normal Lost Phone
• Florence

Highlights

Coming to the end of the project, it's a good time for reflection on what I enjoyed about building out this little title. Primarily, the biggest plus has been the chance to develop the environmental storytelling that I enjoy; the smaller details that will go by unnoticed by the vast majority of players, but sell ideas bigger than are explicitly stated through gameplay.

One theme that lent itself well to this was deterioration. There are numerous nuances that allude to the theme; from smartphones with no charge remaining to mismatched crockery sitting around the garage.

Similarly, another major highlight was getting to develop the meta narrative through storytelling. The collectable notes needed to stand alone, yet be able to tell a bigger tale. Though ultimately somewhat too sombre and gloomy, I feel that conceptually I captured the spirit for the title that I was intent on telling. I only wish I had the time to better conceal these than the rather clumsy final result...

The Future

Hopefully, everyone will have a chance to play through My Dearest Alex before the month is out. Thanks for reading!