Ideation
Above the Heath is inspired by Marfa, Texas, a town known as an artist commune with an well known myth that draws people from far and wide. Around twelve times a year, strange, floating orbs are spotted in the desert with an unknown origin. Some claim its a result of car exhaust interacting with the desert environment and others swear it is the act of aliens.
This game plays on this myth by taking place in a ghost town with a short storyline to follow. The player must explore the town until the come across an area that displays the strange lights.
This game is different from my others because of the environment and open-ended story. I focused on a somewhat barren landscape with a gorgeous orange and pink color palette.
Emotions
The emotions I was trying to evoke are a general awe of the natural world and curiosity of the unknown. Additionally, with the vast, open environment, I was trying to embue feelings of freedom, inspired by classic cowboy lifestyle in the old south. I think the landscape and the soundtrack add a lot to this goal.
Guiding the Player
Something I experimented with in this game was guiding the player through the environment. I used electricity posts to draw the character from one area to another. I also used a gas station sign with an arrow to point the player towards a back alley entrance. Additionally, in the final shot, I shaped the terrain for a very cinematic shot that the player is drawn towards.
Timeline
About a 3 week timeline
1/27: Ideation, General plan
2/7: Environmental design rough draft
2/14: Particle system implemented, Complete environment
2/21: Last details, Final deadline
Responsibilities
Team size: 1 (solo project)
All assets are not my own
- Creating an environment using the terrain tools
- Writing narrative and creating triggers as player walks through environment
- Using particle systems for the lights
- Adding any audio components in the game
Playtest Notes
Playtesters note that they loved the environmental design and the overall aesthetic. In the original version, the playtesters agreed that they wished the environment had more texture and the player didn't have a shadow since it was a capsule and looked unnatural. These issues have been fixed by adding normal maps to the terrain and removing the renderer for the player capsule.
A note from some playtesters is also that they weren't sure if the story had ended by the time they reached the final narrative and location. I decided to add a fade out at the end when you reach the Marfa lights to address this issue.
Challenges
The greatest challenge for me was creating a narrative that made sense and adding enough depth to the game. Additionally, it wasn't easy creating the environment since there were so many random cacti and plants.