Introduction and Project Overview
HistOracle was a semester-long interdisciplinary project centered on transforming ancient oracle bones from static museum artifacts into an engaging interactive experience. Rather than presenting these objects as items behind glass, our team wanted players to experience the ritual, uncertainty, and political stakes that surrounded oracle bone divination during the Shang Dynasty.
Oracle bones are made up typically of turtle shells and ox bones and were used in divination rituals in which heat was applied to create cracks that were then interpreted to answer questions about warfare, harvests, weather, hunting, and matters of state. We saw an opportunity to reframe these artifacts not simply as archaeological objects, but as evidence of a deeply human desire to understand and control an uncertain future.
Our final deliverable was a ten-minute vertical slice of a larger narrative-driven strategic card game. In the experience, players take on the role of a royal diviner whose survival depends on performing rituals, interpreting outcomes, and maintaining the king’s trust. The project brought together multiple disciplines including game design, narrative, programming, UI/UX, 2D visual design, 3D environment art, sound design, and production management.
Although we received valuable historical guidance from museum and academic subject matter experts, they functioned more as consultants than a traditional client. Because of this, a museum touchscreen adaptation remained a stretch goal rather than the main deliverable. Our primary focus was creating a polished and meaningful gameplay experience.
What Went Well
One of the greatest strengths of HistOracle was the unique game concept and mechanics. Early in development, we identified that the most compelling part of oracle bone history was not simply the objects themselves, but the emotional and political pressure behind their use. This led us to frame the experience around a core question: what did it feel like to be responsible for predicting the future while serving those in power? How strong were the diviner’s individual beliefs in their practice? That framing gave the project a strong early foundation to begin building from.
Research also played an important role in the success of the project. Rather than treating history as a layer added on after mechanics were established, we allowed historical material to shape the design itself. The kinds of questions rulers asked, the ritual materials involved, and the broader social context of the Shang Dynasty directly informed our card systems, narrative prompts, environmental details, and sound direction. This made the experience feel grounded rather than decorative.
Another strong contributing factor to the progress was the interdisciplinary collaboration within the team. Because the project touched so many areas, progress depended on communication across roles. Designers worked closely with programmers to create data-driven systems for cards and narrative content. Artists adjusted visual elements based on gameplay readability needs, while sound helped reinforce atmosphere and tension. While there were periods where dependencies became unclear, the team’s dedication and openness to continue trying new methods of strengthening the pipeline and ownership of different features was always the standout strength of the team.
Our original ambitions even for our vertical slice were significantly larger, including a more refined prototype, broader branching narratives, and more extensive replayability systems. By Spring Break, it became clear that this version of the project would be difficult to complete at the level of quality we wanted. We made the decision to narrow the experience into a shorter vertical slice centered around three major ritual moments. This shift allowed us to focus on completing a working prototype by playtest day that we were able to refine multiple iterations of before finals.
Playtesting was another area where the project improved substantially. Early testers exposed confusion around the tutorial, win conditions, and the purpose of several mechanics. Instead of resisting that feedback, we used it to revise the experience. Tutorials were integrated directly into gameplay, UI hierarchy was improved, narrative context became clearer, and stronger feedback effects were added. By the final version, the game was far more readable and engaging because we reprioritized player experience.
What Could Have Been Better
While the team ultimately completed a playable vertical slice, there were several areas where we could have worked more effectively. The largest issue was scope at the beginning of the semester. Our initial vision was far larger than what could realistically be completed within the available timeline. Because of this, time was spent exploring systems and narrative structures that were later reduced or removed entirely. Starting with a smaller and more focused target would have allowed us to spend more time polishing core mechanics earlier in development.
Narrative branching was another challenge that became expensive quickly. As a story-driven game, it was tempting to imagine every player choice leading to unique future outcomes. In practice, each branch increased writing needs, implementation work, testing requirements, and balancing complexity. We eventually adopted a false-branching model in which choices create different immediate outcomes but return to shared story nodes. This was an effective solution, but recognizing the need for it earlier would have saved time and effort. It also would have allowed for earlier parts of the technical pipeline to be formalized earlier. Some systems evolved organically as the game changed, especially data structures, balancing tools, and UI logic. A cleaner backend foundation from the start would have reduced rework later in the semester which would have required earlier design decisions.
Creating the tutorial also arrived later than ideal. Early versions relied on players reading instructions before beginning the game, but many players struggled to understand abstract systems such as trust, emotion, and probability without seeing them in action. We eventually moved toward integrated onboarding, but earlier usability testing would likely have identified this problem sooner.
The historical nature of the project also introduced unique challenges. Shang Dynasty references outside of oracle bones themselves are limited, meaning many decisions required interpretation rather than certainty. This created ongoing tension between historical fidelity, gameplay clarity, and narrative accessibility. Although we approached this responsibly, earlier expert feedback and more time for research would have helped us make these decisions with greater confidence.
Finally, player agency was another area with room for improvement. Because of time constraints, many systems were intentionally controlled to preserve pacing and balance. Card distribution was carefully structured, and deeper systems such as deck-building or broader strategic customization were beyond the semester scope. As a result, some players felt they were participating in a designed sequence rather than shaping outcomes themselves. With more time, increasing long-term strategy and meaningful consequences would have made the experience stronger.
Lessons Learned
One of the clearest lessons from HistOracle was the importance of prototyping early rather than waiting for perfection. Many of the most valuable insights only emerged once players were able to interact with the game. Ideas that sounded strong in planning often needed revision once tested, while simpler systems sometimes proved more effective than expected.
We also were reminded that realistic scope management is a balancing act that must be continually revisited based on visible progress. Reducing ambition is not a failure; in many cases, it is what allows a project to succeed. Our mid-semester pivot toward a shorter vertical slice was a necessary production decision we made and defining the hesitancy earlier would have only benefitted the team.
Another key takeaway was that clarity is essential. Players need to quickly understand what matters, what success looks like, and why their choices are meaningful. If those fundamentals are unclear, even strong mechanics can feel confusing or un-engaging.
The project also reinforced how important pipelines are for small teams. Limited team size means efficient tools and workflows matter just as much as creativity. Systems that allowed designers to input content directly and reduced bottlenecks were critical to our progress.
Additionally, a physical task management system that focused on dependencies would have been the best way to combat the stagnation we faced during the middle of the semester and allowed us to identify the team’s challenges and areas that could be un-blocked.
Perhaps most importantly, we learned that history becomes far more engaging when experienced through interaction rather than passive explanation. Players connected with oracle bones not because they memorized facts, but because they had to make decisions under uncertainty within that historical framework.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Ultimately, HistOracle succeeded in delivering a vertical slice that reframed oracle bones through gameplay, uncertainty, and power. Rather than presenting history as static information, the project allowed players to inhabit the role of a Shang Dynasty diviner and feel the tension behind ritual decision-making.
If development were to continue, the next priorities would be expanding narrative content, deepening consequence systems, increasing player agency, refining progression balance, and adding more environmental storytelling. We would also be interested in exploring a shorter museum kiosk adaptation designed for casual public audiences.
HistOracle demonstrated that ancient artifacts can open opportunities to explore intricate interactive experiences that appeal to traditional video game enthusiasts when design focuses not only on what objects are, but on the human stories and pressures behind how they were used.
Team
Libby Egan – Producer
Yilin Shi – UX/UI Designer & 2D Artist
Mingrui Xu – Narrative & VFX Designer
Junru Yang – 3D Artist
Boreas Yang – Game & Sound Designer
Haru Zhu – Programmer
Jonathan Walton – Faculty Advisor
Vivian Shen – Faculty Advisor
Special Thanks
Ruth Comley – Faculty Consultant
Kristina Gaugler – Subject Matter Expert from CMNH
Liu Gang – Subject Matter Expert from CMU LCAL