Overview
Our project is a transformational game centered around the theme of freedom of speech. The target audience is limited to CMU students, but beyond that, we have full creative freedom in how we approach the topic.
Meet the Team
After finalizing our work schedule, we held a meeting to get to know each other’s backgrounds and goals. Our team consists of:
- One 2D artist
- Two 3D artists
- One programmer
- One UI/UX designer
- One technical artist
In addition to our primary roles, everyone is contributing in multiple areas, including game design, narrative design, and sound design.
We also met with our faculty advisor to clarify the project’s objectives. The key requirements are:
- The game is targeting specifically at CMU students.
- It should help players gain a deeper understanding of freedom of speech, both from a legal perspective (e.g., constitutional rights) and a university policy standpoint.
- Players should be able to distinguish between legal regulations and ethical considerations and understand how context affects speech.
To build a foundation for our project, our advisor provided us with various links and video resources showcasing other interactive projects on this topic. These helped us gain initial insights and served as inspiration for finding our own direction.
Early Feedback & Inspiration
On Friday, we participated in the Composition Box activity, where we gathered feedback from fellow students. Some of the ideas and preferences we received included:
- A dating simulator format
- A choice-based gameplay structure
- Character customization for better player immersion
These insights sparked numerous creative ideas within the team. Based on this feedback, we will brainstorm gameplay ideas that align with our theme.
Challenges We Face
- Lack of familiarity with transformational game structures – Since only few of us have extensive experience with transformational games, we need to research and understand their frameworks.
- High degree of creative freedom – While having no strict constraints is exciting, it also means we must take the initiative to define our direction.
Next Steps
- Attend the Transformational Game Workshop to gain a better understanding of best practices.
- Conduct preliminary research on this topic.
- Brainstorm unique gameplay ideas that effectively convey our message.