T-Dog eXtreme

GAME & NARRATIVE DESIGNER

AND SOMETIMES ARTIST.

Witness the neato games of T-Dog, an award-winning designer with a passion for the bizarro and divine.

GAMES
ART
about

Bringing games to neato life

From AAA to Indie, my narrative and game design work stretches across an array of games including brilliant passion-projects to big and chunky ones with experienced people behind them. 

You can find specific examples of narrative contribution to game projects in the WRITING SAMPLES tab.

Tales of the Shire

Systems, Narrative (2023-2024)

Worked on Systems and Narrative Design.

Responsibilities include writing character dialogue, developing character arcs, writing descriptive text, and helping develop navigational and scheduling features.

WATCH THE TRAILER
Tales of the Shire promo image.
Real Racing 3

REAL RACING 3

Content, Narrative, Game Design (2022-2023)

Co-lead Game Designer on EA Firemonkey’s award-winning racing title, designing 5+ content updates, balancing gameplay, and developing narrative threads across non-linear stories. 

All content owned by EA.

READ MORE
Real Racing 3 image of Radical SR10 XXR driving during a sunset
You Will (Not) Remain main banner, the player stands on the rooftop opposite Lambshank looking at a city engulfed by an eldritch horror.

You Will (Not) Remain

Art, Design (2021-2022)

Initially developed in 48 hours for the Women’s Game Jam 2021, this 2D eldritch-horror themed title has received +1000 positive reviews on steam for its raw narrative an evocative art style. 

Nominated for Narrative at the AGDAs 2022, and for Art and Audio at the Freeplay Awards 2024.

Won Emerging Developers at the Freeplay Awards 2024!

Freeplay 2024 Award Winner
PLAY HERE
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You Will (Not) Remain spritesheet showing Lambshank angry and monstrous.
You Will (Not) Remain spritesheet showing Lambshank wagging.
You Will (Not) Remain spritesheet showing the player patting Lambshank.
Screenshot of You Will (Not) Remain, the main apartment of the game, messy yet ethereal.
Concept art for the main character and Lambshank from You Will (Not) Remain. Some Lambshank concepts feature dogs with long ears or tails made of smoke. Player concepts feature echidna, fox, and ant-eater based creatures.
Concept art for the Eldritch Horror in You Will (Not) Remain. The bird creature has a mouth that goes down deep, with stars floating all around the body of the creature.
Concept art for the various game screens in You Will (Not) Remain. It features renditions of the balcony, rooftop, main lounge, along with annotations conveying how transitions occur.
Symposium of Grief by T-Dog extreme. A ghost, crying, holds it's broken purple heart.

Symposium of Grief

Solo Project (2018-2019)

Developed initially as a university project before continuing its development, explore themes around loss of relationships and identity through abject humor, overly direct language, and a kitschy 1920s purgatory-esque pixel-style.

Nominated for Best Narrative and Best Student Game at the Freeplay Awards, 2019.

PLAY HERE
Symposium of Grief Screenshot - Ghost talks to a Priest with no jaw who exclaims gibberish due to the lack of bottom jaw.
Ghost standing behind some shop shelves in a convenience store.
Pixel art portrait of a shadowy dog.
Pixel art portrait of a feminine cyclops.
Pixel art portrait of a demon holding a giant pill that reads 'DRUG'.
Pixel art portrait of a anthropomorphic crow who works at the post office
Pixel art portrait of a ghost that has been split in two. One half is sad, the other half is content.
Pixel art portrait of a crying ghost with half a heart.

Bin Chicken Has a Go!

Art, Narrative, Design (2021)

Created for the 2021 Global Game Jam over a weekend, discover the secrets permeating the corporate landscape in this point-and-click adventure mystery.

Won Best Microgame at the Freeplay Awards 2024.

Freeplay 2024 Award Winner
PLAY HERE
Procreate icon
Inky
Bin Chicken Has a Go Screenshot: Steve (a black cat) stands at the end of the kitchen, blocking the player from the microwave.
Bin Chicken Has a Go Screenshot: The player stands in Heather's (a possum) office. It is filled with chewed wires and eucalyptus leaves.
Pixel art portrait of a anthropomorphic red bin chicken who is smoking
Pixel art portrait of a anthropomorphic monitor lizard IT-worker who is very tired
Pixel art portrait of a anthropomorphic cockatoo who seems like a lovely old lady
Pixel art portrait of a anthropomorphic italian greyhound who has anxiety issues
Pixel art portrait of a anthropomorphic black cat who looks like he wants to sell you something
Pixel art portrait of a anthropomorphic possum who is a strong leader and loves business
Resort Zero 'Summer of Screams' main banner, features a warped looking character hidden in shadow

Resort Zero

Art, Writing (2020)

Made in 2020 for Haunted PS1 Game Jam – Summer of Screams with the theme ‘Architecture.’

We wanted to use the develop a surreal hotel to create the main sense of horror and use the guests as a means to highlight and reflect this environment.

PLAY HERE
Resort Zero Screenshot: A low-res PS1 inspired environment of a hotel reception. There is an umbrella stand, a poor picture of a sunset, but the lobby is empty.
A pixel portrait of a warped looking character with a cranky long face and a shaven head.
An abstract pixel portrait of a neutral looking character with uneven eyes at extreme differing heights.
An abstract pixel portrait of a character with an extreme point to their chin, an extremely thin neck, and curly dark hair.
An abstract pixel portrait of a sad character who seems to have two other faces attached to a quarter of their face.
An abstract pixel portrait of a character with a rounded face who seems rather content.
An abstract pixel portrait of a character with a long face and spirally white hair.
An image of old 'broadcast ended' screens dating back to the 70s. It reads 'Jae-Dog Productions'.

Broadcast Z

Art, Design (2019)

Created for the 2019 Locomojam on a train from Brisbane to Melbourne, explore a series of vignettes all following the theme ‘line’.

PLAY HERE
A spritesheet of a bipedal zebra turning into a grey puddle.
Broadcast Z Screenshot: A zebra on two legs stands before a zebra crossing, with a sign pointing to the right that reads 'THING'.
Screenshot from Broadcast Z - a zebra stands in front of a licorice shop on a nice bright day.

Les Bon Garçon

Art, Design (2018)

University prototype that aimed to capture everything cozy about Melbourne cafes. You play as a good boy managing your petite café with an array of quirky customers.

Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic pink Poodle.
Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic Mastiff.
Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic German Shepherd.
Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic Chihuahua who is shakey.
Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic Pug in an argyle sweater.
Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic Pomeranian in a purple jacket.
Pixel portrait of an anthropomorphic Red Setter wearing a waiter outfit.
4 quirky sprites of various dog characters, ranging from a chihuahua with a necklace to a mastiff with a turtleneck
Aura of Worlds - Logo

Aura of Worlds

Artist (2021-2022)

Pixel artist, dialogue writer, and grant writer on Aura of Worlds. Created the ‘Luminous Grand Slime‘ Boss, developed concepts for enemies, and drew background assets for a variety of environments across multiple updates.  

IP owned by Anthony Liew, Cognitive Forge.

PLAY HERE
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Spritesheet of the intro animation for the Grand Luminous Slime from Aura of Worlds.
Pixel art concept of the Frost Phoenix for Aura of Worlds.

Track Day: NISMO R33

game design

CUSTOM ENGINE

Track Day: NISMO R33 was developed for EA’s premier mobile racing title, Real Racing 3.

Real Racing 3 IP is owned by EA.

SUMMARY
SCRIPT
CHARACTER SHEET

Track Day: V12 SPEEDSTER

game design

CUSTOM ENGINE

Track Day: V12 Speedster was developed for EA’s premier mobile racing title, Real Racing 3.

Real Racing 3 IP is owned by EA.

SUMMARY
SCRIPT

Track Day: Radical SR10

game design

CUSTOM ENGINE

Track Day: Radical SR10 was developed for EA’s premier mobile racing title, Real Racing 3.

Real Racing 3 IP is owned by EA.

SUMMARY
SCRIPT

Symposium of Grief

GAME DESIGN

UNITY PLUG-IN

dARK cOMEDY

Initially created as final University project in 2018, solo development continued until self-publication in 2019.

You play as Ghost, a sad little thing with a broken heart and limited capacity to process the situation. Explore every means of avoidance in this cute little black comedy.

SUMMARY
SCRIPT

Bin Chicken Has a Go!

INTERACTIVE

INKLE

NOIR

POINT-AND-CLICK

Developed in a few days for the Global Game Jam in 2021, Bin Chicken Has a Go is a light-hearted noir-style office adventure.

A conspiracy is afoot, and no one else in this beige-laden office is motivated by justice. That is until you came along…

SCRIPT
CHARACTER SHEET

Resort Zero

INTERACTIVE

INKLE

HORROR

Developed for PS1 Horror Game Jam, 2020. 

You are a travel writer exploring a hotel known for it’s surrealist qualities and odd history. Though it is unclear which is more odd, the hotel or the guests which inhabit it.

Main narrative developed by Justin Tam. 

SUMMARY
SCRIPT

Always open to chat, get in touch!

[email protected]

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2024 T-Dog eXtreme. All rights reserved.
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Track Day: NISMO R33

Expterise

  • Developing engaging storylines that integrate and complement existing game mechanics
  • Adapting my writing style to suit different genres through dedicated research, documentation, and problem solving skills
  • Creating narratives that align with multiple criteria, including; monetization targets, player engagement, and adherence to style guides
  • Utilizing in-house engines when implementing dialogue

Goals

  • Create a narrative in-line with the Real Racing 3 brand
  • Develop a set of goals that were engaging and diverse from what has previously been experienced
  • Find solutions for and manage the fundamental problem of having a player-character who is too overpowered and effectively flawless
  • Explore characters and their relationships that have predominantly been used to fill a particular role
  • Leave an open-ended narrative to allow for further storylines in future updates

Summary

Track Day: NISMO R33 is a linear narrative aimed at an audience who are motivated by collecting and driving cars as opposed to plot progression and narratives. 

Narrative flow for Real Racing 3 is static and unchanging, flowing as follows:

Stage Introduction dialogue

Descriptive Goal Text (for flavor)

Player Enters Goal – Gameplay loop occurs

Outro Dialogue (Intro for next goal) – x3

Stage OUTRO dialogue

This means the capacity to explore an in-depth narrative is limited to a few select and punchy lines. Each tap of the screen can draw out a players frustration if it is not engaging enough.

The quest takes place with the player being able to drive a one-of-a-kind car called the Nissan NISMO GTR LM (BCNR33). The player’s manager, Michael, is late to the booked-in track appointment presenting the player with a run-down and damaged version of the car with little explanation. This is a peculiar experience, as he is often portrayed as playing it safe and being put together.

Broken down into 5 stages, each with 4 goals for the player to complete, each stage unfurls Michael’s mysterious circumstances piece by piece by utilizing his retelling of events as goals the player must play across the stages. Often his details do not correlate with reality, creating opportunity to play with difficulty balancing throughout the goals as the stages progress.

Stage 01

Brief introduction of the hero car, and allusion to tomfoolery afoot.

Michael averts questioning by relaying a series of events from the UK. Difficulty reflects Michael presenting a more palatable story, as well as embellishing his own skills.

EASY

Stage 02

The player gets to drive in the car, forming holes in Michael’s story as the car’s circumstances are more dire than he let on. Michael adds more padding to the story to explain some of the damage. The difficulty curve increases in-line with the tension of Michael’s tale.

EASY

Stage 03

Another character, Chip, is revealed to have been part of the night’s events, exposing more of Michael’s embellishments. The stage bounces back and forth between past and present to highlight Chip and Michael scrambling to get on the same page.

Difficulty intensifies to showcase the damage to the car, in conjunction with a fractured narrative.

MEDIUM

Stage 04

The player is put into the shoes of Chip, Ahmed, and Michael, revealing the true extent of the night’s capers. The difficulty reaches a crescendo, additionally the types of goals diversify drastically compared to previous content as a means to showcase the chaos of the story.

VERY HARD

Stage 05

The player can now experience the glory of the fully-repaired GTR LM amongst the crew of misfits, as Ahmed recites the history and cultural significance of the car.

The aim of this stage is to highlight the full capacity of the car, and so the goals are difficult but straightforward.

HARD

Given the real NISMO GTR LM is set in Nissan’s heritage museum, for suspension of disbelief purposes Michael and the player’s mutual millionaire friend, Ahmed, is the original acquirer of the car. His story finally formulating a narrative detailing an eventful night, culminating in some never-before-seen goals.

As with all Real Racing 3 quests, the event ends on the note of the player receiving the car as a show of good faith and compliment to their driving in the wake of Michael’s adventures. This means the final stage needs to be heavily player-based. The final note is left open-ended, as the reckless night leaves room for further elaboration and relationship exploration.

Track Day: NISMO R33

Characters

  • Champ, Hotshot, Friend: the Player
  • Natalia: the Agent
  • Michael: the Manager
  • Chip: the Coach
  • Ahmed: the Millionaire 
  • Eric: the Mechanic

Available to play on mobile. Read the full-script here:

READ MORE

Script Excerpt - Stage 01

Intro

Natalia: What a fantastic day out here in Dubai! It’s the best time to go out and test your wheels on the track.

Natalia: Michael mentioned he had some great cars for you to test out.

Natalia: I actually haven’t been filled in on the details which will make this a fun surprise!

Natalia: But he’s running quite late, which is unlike him…

Natalia: Oh, I think I see him–

Michael: Hey champ, hey Natalia! Fantastic day isn’t it?

Natalia: …Did you come here in a 1995 Nissan R33?

Michael: That sounds correct. I got it from a contact.

Natalia: This car is one of a kind, as in, “never marketed to the public” one-of-a-kind.

Michael: They’re a pretty good contact!

Michael: I’ve already taken it for a short trip and can guarantee it’s safe. So, let’s get into it and take it for a bit of a spin, champ!

Natalia: I think we should hear a bit more about this incredibly rare car and the ‘pretty good contact.’

Michael: Well, the contact is UK-based, and a very high-priority client. They were even  kind enough to lend me a private jet to get here.

Michael: So that’s why I’m late…

Michael: And I forgot my car…

Michael: …In the UK. But I’m all good now!

GOAL 01 TEXT: We went out on the track together with their big-cheese friends, and had an easy cruise around the track–but I was set on winning…

GOAL 01 OUTRO

Natalia: Really, that’s what happened? I’d love to hear more about this client and them letting you drive in the R33.

Subsequent goals have an inconsistent number of cars out on the track, in conjunction with car liveries that keep changing to reflect Michael’s inability to keep his story consistent.

GOAL 02 TEXT: Next it was me and the client out on the track, head-to-head in an intense battle to prove my worth. All I had to do was get ahead!

GOAL 02 OUTRO

Natalia: Great job on overtaking your now client-contact, Michael.

Michael: Appreciate the compliment!

Natalia: So, you had two stints around the track and that’s why you’re late?

Michael: Well there was a lot more we did, I just haven’t gotten to it because I was interrupted.

Natalia: …

Michael: As I was saying…

GOAL 03 TEXT: Things were getting tense in the group–I really had to assert my place by getting to the lead position after being pushed to the back.

GOAL 04 TEXT: The last thing I needed to do was win over the crowd by hitting top speed and completing the Speed Snap in the R33!

OUTRO

Michael: Nothing too dramatic, but it did get pretty wild out there in the UK!

Natalia: How many of you were there?

Michael: How do you mean?

Natalia: How many people were you racing against?

Michael: Oh, a strong number for sure.

Natalia: Give me a benchmark number between five to fifteen.

Michael: Yeah, about that much I’d say.

Track Day: NISMO R33

As part of developing my first quest, I wanted to develop the character documentation further to ensure consistency across designers.

Here is a sample of 2 characters, edited from the original source material due to EA ownership of official documentation.

CHARACTERS

NATALIA (she/her)

PR AGENT
  • Positive
  • Professional
  • Sarcastic
  • Honest
  • Driven
DESCRIPTION

Natalia can be described as being flexible in her role, who is professional as she is sarcastic. something of a generalist. Her job is to make sure the player gets only the best opportunities and PR. She is friendly to the player and ultimately wants them to succeed, but not by means of taking risks or shortcuts. 

EXAMPLE DIALOGUE

Congratulations – you’re signed! Now set your sights on Le Mans itself…

In fact, this PR nightmare is really driving me to consider these viable new career pathways. And this wouldn’t be possible if not for Chip and Ahmed.

ROLE

Natalia functions well as a narrative device for setting up the player with brand deals or securing partnerships with various real-life manufacturers or in-game brands e.g. “I set up a deal with McLaren where you race around Europe in the Senna GTR and you get to keep the car as part of your payment.”

She works when alongside more chaotically inclined characters such as Chip or Ahmed, as her straightforward and safe nature allows for interesting dialogue to bounce off her.

Magnus (He/him)

Pro racing Driver & Rival
  • Competitive
  • Prideful
  • Unlucky
  • Rude
  • Dry
DESCRIPTION

Magnus functions as the main rival to the player, holding a similar role as an experienced racer. He has fast skills on the track and is at the peak level of his career. No matter how many times he loses, he will always come back again to regain his pride.

EXAMPLE DIALOGUE

Is that the Hennessey Venom F5? Impressive. I’ve been trying to get my hands on that car for years. I heard rumors it might never come out. Where did you get it from?

And now, it is my turn to tell you all about the fragile egos of our friends, here.

ROLE

Because of his dry and competitive nature, he works great as an opponent for the player, or even as a team mate for them when the circumstances are right.

In recent times he has been used as a POV character a few times, which is fun because then you can have the car suffer from many random mechanical issues allowing for interesting goals. This feeds into the running joke of his car always falling apart when he’s winning. 

We have also granted him a some wins where the player needs to actively ensure his victory. This helps to  maintain some reasoning for his ego and feed into a meta-narrative of the player being the constant means of victory for him.

Track Day: V12 SPEEDSTER

Expertise

  • Developing fun goals within spec limitations
  • Writing a cohesive and strong 3 act narrative structure within a small number of stages and dialogue constraints
  • Creating enticing narratives, further iterating on underused characters while maintaining their fundamental character traits

Goals

  • Utilize a newly implemented track (Lime Rock)
  • Breathe life into a stale character (Norm) while maintaining his older no-nonsense personality
  • Develop an engaging narrative to compensate for a car with limited stand-out traits

Summary

For specifics delving into RR3’s structure and flow, see Track Day: NISMO R33.

The NISMO R33 quest from the previous update had received praise from long-term players regarding the unique goals and improved difficulty curve, I wanted to maintain the momentum from this when developing the goals for the V12 Speedster Quest.

The focal point for this particular quest is the Aston Martin V12 Speedster, a luxury car inspired by 50s racers with only 88 being made. It goes so far as being advertised with a livery inspired by a DBR1 from the 50s.

Of all the characters across RR3, the elderly Norm is
traditionally the individual that introduces classic cars to the player due to
his age and history (e.g. Redline: Origins). However, this posed a few problems for the narrative development.

Problem

Norm being used to introduce classic racing and luxury cars has rendered his character a bit stale and lacking opportunities for tension and growth

Solution

Introduce a new interesting aspect about Norm in relation to his classic car interest – Norm wants to start a club that centers around Classic Car appreciation

Problem

Norm has limited engagement with other companions, unclear relationship dynamics, no points of tension, and thus has nothing interesting to develop the quest around

Solution

We can prompt Norm to become protective of his new interests and utilize a character that is always relied on as the focal point of car sourcing (Ahmed) to create tension by attempting to insert himself into Norm’s new hobby

There are 5 Stages in the game, and as such these 5 Stages were split into 3 Acts. 

ACT 1

Stage 1 & 2

ACT 2

Stage 3 & 4

ACT 3

Stage 5

Act 1: Stage 01

Norm meets the player at a Lime Rock track day with his new Aston Martin Speedster. The concept of Norm’s ‘Classics Club’ is broached as the player learns the feel of the car.

Being a beginner’s track day, the difficulty is easy and the stage itself shorter in order to allow players the chance to acclimate to
the feel of the car.

EASY

Act 1: Stage 02

Ahmed just so happens to have the exact same car on the exact same track day, immediately attempting to insert himself into Norm’s club idea.

Norm incites the player to a series of insidious tasks to encourage Ahmed to find another passion project and leave. As the player sabotages the other Aston Martin, Ahmed finds glee in friendly challenges, prompting tension only palpable by Norm.

The difficulty ramps up ever so slightly to reflect the tension Norm is creating.

EASY

Act 2: Stage 03

After retreating home to Melbourne, Norm bumps into Zoe running a small competition. She has coincidentally been gifted a Speedster by Ahmed, prompting further frustration from Norm. In a crisis and sick of the Speedster, Norm brings out some of his true classic cars.

Things start to get more tricky as the player transitions from a beginner track day to a low-stakes race with professionals.

MEDIUM

Act 2: Stage 04

Retreating further into the Australian countryside, Norm takes some time to get the player to really push the V12 Speedster to its limits. As Norm tampers with the car, he gets the space to have a bit of a breather and reflect on how he feels about the crew. 

The difficulty grows intense, reflecting Norm’s current state of mind and overall frustration. His tampering with the car and the feats he pushes the player to complete are the direct cause of difficult over the stage.

HARD

Act 3: Stage 05

Norm grows an appreciation for the whacky crew and indulges in a new club idea with everyone included. Ahmed ensures Norm still has his original club. With the help of the player, Norm finally wins a race after years of being retired and not in his prime.

The aim of this stage is to ramp up the tension to its crescendo through the all-crew racing across Europe, and so the goals are extremely difficult but straightforward in nature.

HARD

Response

Player response to Norm’s new characterization was quite intense. I clearly evoked some passionate response through the narrative I’d written. This was a good indication that engaged players were responsive to the narrative and did pay attention to the characters, despite the nature of the game pushing them to delve into a race as fast as possible.

#NormShouldDie – who’s with me? LOL If that boomer touches my car again I’m gonna take his pension. See what that does to his blood pressure. Maybe he won’t need racing. His heart will do that for him.

Track Day: SPEEDSTER V12

Characters

  • Champ, Mate, Friend: the Player
  • Ahmed: the Millionaire and aspiring Racer 
  • Norm: the retired Legend 

Having bought a new Aston Martin Speedster, Norm is looking to create a car club on his own in order to form a community of like-minded car lovers. He appreciates the player for the silent contemplation, citing them as a ‘no-nonsense’ type.

Ahmed, who happens to be at the same track of their meeting in the same type of car, is very much a nonsense type who finds glee in inserting himself into Norm’s hobby.

With the prospect of losing control of a passion project, Norm incites the player to a series of insidious tasks to discourage Ahmed’s interest. As the player sabotages the Ahmed’s Aston Martin, Ahmed is delighted by these friendly challenges, prompting tension only palpable by Norm.

Available to play on mobile. Read the full-script here:

READ MORE

Script Excerpt - Stage 02

Intro

Norm: Maybe this isn’t really the type of club that’d suit you.

Norm: I’m thinking some real old and experienced folks talkin’ ‘bout the good ol’ days and what have you. 

Ahmed: Yes, I have had many a tarot reader tell me I have an ‘old soul,’ so perhaps we are kindred spirits, you and I.

Ahmed: But, I take your point on the experience side of things. I have learned a lot and have more experience than most my age, but I remain humble.

Norm: Streuth. 

Ahmed: I must vacate to the bathroom, but once I return let us have ourselves a friendly little competition, and I shall prove my worth! 

Norm: I still need to get my blood pressure checked before I jump behind the wheel–you right if our champion here represents yours truly?

Ahmed: Yes, what an honor our competition will be!

Ahmed: I will be back shortly!

Norm: See you, Ahms.

Norm: …

Norm: Right, now I got another thing I’m gonna need you to do for me.

GOAL 01 TEXT: He’s left his keys in the car on a warm day–jump in his car and try to overheat it before he gets back. Drafting as much as you can should do the trick.

Norm’s car is pulled over to the side of the track, communicating the haste in swapping the cars.

GOAL 01 OUTRO

Ahmed: I have returned–are we ready for some fun competition?

Norm: You sure your car’s ready to go? Looks a bit run-down there, Ahms. 

Ahmed: It is quite dusty and the tires are balder than I recall, let me check.

Ahmed: Alas, the vehicle sounds like a dream.

Ahmed: A remarkable model, wouldn’t you agree?

Norm: A little bit too remarkable, damn.

Ahmed: Yes, perfection is a burden. Damn! 

Ahmed: Let’s race!

GOAL 02 TEXT: See if you can best me in a Speed Record on grounds of equal footing!

GOAL 02 OUTRO

Ahmed: Another race, I say! 

Norm: I dunno if you need to push yourself that hard…

Ahmed: You motivate me all the more to prove my worth.

Norm: Listen, mate, when you’re out there with Ahmed, you’re going to need to really crush his hopes if you catch my drift…

GOAL 03 TEXT: He needs to feel like he can win this, so sneak up from the back up to 2nd. Stick behind him for 25 sec and hit the finish line at a top speed–make him feel like he’s just got it.

GOAL 04 TEXT: Now’s the time to show how he doesn’t even stand a chance–move ahead into 1st and win by at least 300 yd (274.3 m)!

OUTRO

Ahmed: I really thought I had it there…

Norm: Don’t be too hard on yourself, Ahms. Maybe the club just isn’t your cup of tea.

Norm: You could even start your own little billionaires club or something, start baking as a hobby, anything. 

Ahmed: No! I will remain resilient! 

Ahmed: I will be part of your club, I will prove myself and show you how I can be of value to this Classics Club!

Norm: Look, Ahmed, I reckon just stick to the stuff you know. You lost the comp, but you’re still a legend on the track. 

Ahmed: But–

Norm: Listen, I’m retired! I just wanna get into my speedster and have some peace with some mates who like old cars without risking cardiac arrest! 

Norm: I’m not interested in having more competitions!

Ahmed: But why would anyone want to even join a club with no competition?

Norm: …

Norm: Don’t worry about it.

Norm: I’m going back home today, anyway. I’m gettin’ too homesick, and the American air is doing somethin’ to my lungs. 

Norm: I’ll catch you all later.

Ahmed: …

Ahmed: Hmm, he seems a bit upset. Perhaps you should go to Melbourne with him?

Ahmed: I meant what I said, I’m resilient and will work on my driving to one day be as skilled as I am beautiful. 

Track Day: Radical SR10

Expertise

  • Designing a narrative around gameplay, as opposed to gameplay around narrative
  • Integrating previous storylines to develop a long-term cohesive narrative
  • Creating narratives that align with multiple criteria, specifically in this instance; appeasement to both brand partners (Radical) and players

Goals

  • Utilize existing goal types that had not been touched due to previous car limitations:
    • The ‘No Braking’ goal specifically was now feasible for use– if brakes are used at any point during the race, a loss is triggered. With slower cars that have a higher potential to skid-out, not being able to brake feels very clunky and uncomfortable.
  • Develop enticing goals around pushing the Radical SR10 XXR to its limits, placing narrative as a secondary focus
  • Create a narrative from the perspective of characters that are not the player character – something yet to be broached in RR3

Summary

For specifics delving into RR3s structure and flow, see Track Day: NISMO R33.

Radical is a relatively new motorsports series with its own type of car along with it. The Radical SR10 XXR was an extremely unique car from a gameplay perspective. The name is fun, not a lot of other game titles have worked with the Radical brand, and the car has extreme grip capacity. The amount of agility exhibited by the car opened up a lot more potential for zany goals where others were limited.

Optimal Driving Considerations:

  • Maintaining high speeds on curvy tracks – prompts players to consider ways to minimize braking, get to use tracks that are seldom used due to frustration with skidding
  • Overtake / Lap a set amount of cars – Slower cars on the track and a limited time to overtake a large amount of car forces players to navigate tightly spaces between cars, teaching them the maneuverability of the Radical
  • Hit X speed Y times (paired with no off-track) – Use higher speeds with less times to hit it especially on curvy tracks, creating tension for players when determining the optimal point to start braking

 

With so much experimentation rife in gameplay elements, it felt only appropriate to have a narrative match this. Of all the quests, this is one of the only ones in RR3 that does not feature the player character as the primary protagonist. Due to years of player character centric narrative, they are incredibly overpowered in their skill, and I wanted to up the stakes of the narrative through utilizing characters who do not have the level of skill as the player.

The whole narrative centers around Chip and Ahmed and their Radical Adventure. The Radical Adventure in question is their racing licensing being up for revocation due to prior events in the NISMO R33 which had them flagged for unprofessional behavior. If they fail to convince the committee to approve their license renewal, their reputations will be tarnished, and by association the player’s.

Stage 01

Michael sets the stakes for Chip and Ahmed given his involvement in the night of the NISMO R33. If Chip and Ahmed fail to showcase safe driving, their licenses will be revoked. The Radical is the car of choice for the event due to minimal skid chance.

The stage is easy to complete as it is a safety test, however, Chip and Ahmed assume this ease is due to their sheer talent.

EASY

Stage 02

After failing the safety test, Chip and Ahmed seek out the safest driver they know – Zoe. She has her own battles, racing against Austrians with psychological tactics to maintain her local reputation.

The difficulty curve begins to ramp up to moderate with goals becoming more complex. This is to both reflect the tension on the track but imply the overall tone of the quest.

MEDIUM

Stage 03

Eric is in some trouble after making some bets with managers where the stakes were the cost of his repair commissions. Inspired by the recent High Roller investigation (Monza SP1), Eric rigged the race he betted on to improve the speed of his car drastically.

With the Radical being actively tinkered with and tension of a poor bet, the difficulty intensifies. 

HARD

Stage 04

A fun montage-inspired stage, the player perspective bounces between Chip and Ahmed finding additional people to join their cause, as well as going back to the friends they’ve left behind who have their own mischief to get up to.

The montage nature of this stage allows for goals that are more challenging and simultaneously different from the usual type of goals.

HARD

Stage 05

Chip and Ahmed give a final presentation to the racing committee with the help of their friends, emphasizing why they should retain their racing licenses. Ultimately, they simply need to drive safely.

The goals of this stage reflect the initial stage but with considerably more challenge, allowing the quest to complete a full circle.

VERY HARD

Track Day: RADICAL SR10

Characters

  • Michael: the Manager
  • Ahmed: the Millionaire and aspiring Racer 
  • Chip: the loose unit

Context

A follow-up to the NISMO R33 Track Day, due to many reckless driving incidents, Ahmed and Chip must prove to the racing committee they are fit to retain their racing licenses.

Partially inspired by Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure due to the name of the car – Radical SR10 XXR.

Available to play on mobile. Read the full-script here:

READ MORE

Script Excerpt - Stage 01

Intro

Michael: Thank you both for making the time to come to this track day, I have some important news to share with you both.

Michael: This is important because you’ve been flagged for dangerous driving in the ’95 GTR LM from a couple of months ago, and your competition licenses are on the line.

Ahmed: That’s fine. I’ll simply buy us new ones!

Chip: Not how licenses work there, bud.

Michael: I’ve had a chat with the committee to see if we can make a case before they make a decision.

Michael: They’ve agreed to observe your driving to show you do have the skills and understandings of safety in place in order to retain your permissions to race.

Michael: The SR10 XXR has incredible grip, so the chance is minimal for you both to mess it up.

Ahmed: Us to mess it up? What about your driving? Didn’t you steal the GTR from my garage to drive it alone for hours?

Michael: –If you don’t convince the committee to approve of your license renewal, it’s going to have a catastrophic impact on racing culture as we know it.

Michael: Natalia and I will lose our jobs, Ahmed won’t be able to buy us cars…

Michael: And Champ, our closest confidant, one of the most well-known racers globally, and my biggest client, will have their reputation suffer by simple association with the two of you.

Ahmed: No, not our Champ!

Michael: Our careers are on the line. Racing culture is on the line. You need to succeed

Ahmed: Chip, you must know you’ve become a fantastic friend to me.

Chip: You’re alright, I guess.

Chip: Let’s show ’em what we got, make them regret ever considering taking away our right to drive!

GOAL 01 TEXT: Overtake 1st place before the end of the race

Norm’s car is pulled over to the side of the track, communicating the haste in swapping the cars.

GOAL 01 OUTRO

Chip: Ahmed’s already so far ahead, I need to catch up to him and show a bit flair while I’m at it.

Chip: I can’t let these racing jocks think he’s got all the talent, ain’t no way I’m being banned from the track!

GOAL 02 TEXT: Finish at least 2nd with an average speed of 107.4 mph (172.8 kph)

GOAL 02 OUTRO

Ahmed: I’m seeing a wonderful red flag, a sign things are heating up!

Ahmed: We must persist and win!

GOAL 03 TEXT: Tailgate Ahmed for 30 sec, then take the win

GOAL 04 TEXT: Ensure you and Ahmed come in 1st and 2nd together while managing degrading tires

Across the whole race, the laps are consistent. If in goal 3 the amount of laps to complete are 2, then in goal 4 it will start at lap 3 to make the entire set of goals feel like a single race.

OUTRO

Ahmed: It seems we have a black flag being waved as us?

Michael: For not following the rules of the track day, yes.

Chip: Track days have rules?

Ahmed: Surely we have not broken any rules, we simply have shown our ability to race! We were the fastest out there, that must account for something?

Chip: Is this a bad time to point out you’re not wearing a seatbelt?

Ahmed: I find them stifling.

Michael: Yep, your licenses will almost certainly be revoked.

Chip: No way! We can prove we’re good drivers!

Michael: …Alright, I’m going to submit an appeal. But this appeal is your last chance.

Michael: Maybe you could look into getting a key figure in the industry to speak out on your behalf?

Chip: Of course—Zoé!

Chip: Zoé has never done anything bad in her life, except when I’ve coaxed her!

Chip: She’s got the perfect reputation, and a letter from her would put us back in the ring for consideration.

Ahmed: But she must be so far from here…

Michael: You have access to a private jet, boys.

Michael: Or you could even just send her an email–

Michael: And they’re gone.

symposium of grief

Expertise

  • Developing a longer form narrative with strong themes that form a clear and strong overall message
  • Creating a whimsical and interactive world with unique characters
  • Writing longer-form dialogue that is witty and maintains a good sense of comedic timing
  • Establishing dialogue and narrative that thematically fits in with the broader mechanics of the game e.g. keeping considerations such as screen-size and player clicking in mind

Available to play here:

Play the full-game

Premise

You play as Ghost who suffers from a broken heart, quite literally.

Ghost’s ultimate aim is to find the other half of their heart, who has undergone an intense journey across a one-way river to the Isle of Compromise with the Ferryman. The Ferryman, a mermaid, is currently preoccupied with a sudoku puzzle, and cannot complete it due to their wet fingers.

Ghost has no idea how to play Sudoku and the symbols make no sense to them, it’s all nonsense. To understand the game and its symbols, Ghost must slowly and painstakingly process their grief across its 5 stages.

As each stage is processed, the symbols begin to make sense, eventually culminating in them completing the crossword, confronting their missing half, and ultimately moving on.

The World

Each character in the purgatory-esque world has a physical heart being worn on their persons. Each heart has some implicit story it is looking to tell. Some hearts are a uniform color, others are split into two colors, other hearts appear wonky and not yet put together. All of this is not only an allegory for relationships, but also an allegory for the sense of self for these characters.

Uniform Hearts, Single Colored: These characters are not necessarily implicitly single, but are characters who are assured of themselves with a strong sense of identity.

Fractured Hearts, Single Colored: These individuals are people who have suffered some kind of loss but are slowly finding their sense of identity where it may have been lost.

Uniform Hearts, Dual Colored: Dual color has clear implication of the involvement of another character. They understand and are comfortable in who they are, and that their identity is tied up in another person. These characters are ones Ghost most envies and will often be a source of antagonism due to an implicit jealousy.

Fractured Hearts, Dual Colored: Individuals who are losing their sense of identity, and sense of place in the world. Break-ups go beyond the question of ‘who am I in this relationship’ but instead ‘who am I in this world?’ Their very identity is falling apart, and these characters are shown to be in some kind of crisis, the issue being Ghost is strongly drawn to them because they can often enable Ghost’s dysfunctional thinking.

Cracked Hearts, Dual Colored: Ghost envies these characters and will treat them with the same jealousy as fully-formed dual colored hearts, but what Ghost fails to see is there is some strain in the person’s selfhood. They are on the cusp of a crisis, but this is not being recognized due to Ghost’s bias towards whole-hearted people.

No Heart: Weird characters who are usually dancing to the beat of their own drum, they have a place, but they don’t make sense in Ghost’s world.

Ghost is the only character with a full split, implying a clear breakup that has occurred with a significant distortion in their sense of self. They are the only character with half a heart, and that creates an intense feeling of isolation.

Each character and each place on the map functions as an experience for Ghost, and as a reflection of the experiences we have during a breakup.

The structure of the world itself is quite nonsensical, things are in places where they shouldn’t be, the entire town is a solitary isle in the middle of a black lake which feeds more like a void. The structure serves to emphasize the grief experience. There is a pet shop and aquarium, but no real grocery shop. There is no need for a grocery shop because people who are grieving have no energy to buy real food or eat.

The post-office functions solely as a place for the scary post office cryptid to exist because Ghost is lonely and has no need to send mail. The post office cryptid must exist to berate Ghost, as this is true to the grief experience. Everyone is up in your business ready to criticize you, and seldom do you have a genuine interaction with a person. All the people you engage with are weird, disconnected, and fail to recognize the signs of your anguish, even with tears streaming down your face.

Such is the world of Symposium of Grief, an isolated isle with characters who all serve to show Ghost how alone they truly are.

Narrative Structure

This linear narrative is broken into 5 acts, with each act representing a stage of grief.

Many of the game’s goals are intentionally nonsensical, not necessarily looking to make cohesive sense, but reflecting Ghost’s current mind state. Their mind state is constantly seeking to find ways to ignore and repress their pain, aiming at each stage to hold on to the memory of their ex-partner as opposed to processing the loneliness.

Because of this, the goals are silly but ultimately come together to make some kind of sense, as this is how Ghost is subconsciously processing things.

Denial – features Ghost trying to find ways to reach their heart, actively ignoring the people being blunt about the reality of the situation and instead taking any sign that the connection will be re-established.

Rage – a brief phase that encapsulates Ghost’s realization of the extent of the split. They rage across the town, taking out the rage of their anguish on anyone who dares question the potential of a reunion between them and their heart.

Bargaining – As the rage dissipates Ghost is desperate to find other means to clutch onto the reunion of them and their heart. The anguish is too much to bear, it’s much easier for them to pretend a future is possible. Interactions are abrupt and rude as Ghost is frustrated at the looming sense of doom.

Sadness – The anguish sets in as Ghost slowly comes to grips with the reality of the situation, their heart is missing and that is horrible. They avoid moments of joy and reminders of depression alike throughout this stage, wanting only to stay numb. It is only when their depression is truly recognized and pointed out by another person that Ghost can begin the path to acceptance.

Acceptance – Ghost burns down their house, preventing themselves from returning to the painful memories and patterns of before. This is the only stage where Ghost does things without the prompt of other characters.

symposium of grief

Characters

  • Ghost
  • Priest
  • Dentist
  • Candy Clerk
  • Hotdog Boy

cONTEXT

After finding a shattered piece of their heart in a broken glass window, Ghost enters the next phase of their grief – Bargaining.

In an attempt to avoid feeling the loss, and instead finding ways their heart could return, Ghost gets advice from a friend, Ethereal Wellwisher, who is also experiencing the loss of their heart. Ethereal offers Ghost some misinformed self-help advice that gives them the hope that you can lure your heart back through quick and easy self-growth.

Ghost recognizes that they lack the capacity to forgive themself in order to grow, but is assured there are other simpler means to do this.

This script excerpt goes through parts of Stage 03 – Bargaining, aiming to highlight the use of grammar, punctuation, and dialogue breaks to convey pacing and humor without relying on imagery.

Additionally it aims to showcase the bizarre narrative structure that reflects and emphasizes the main character’s current emotional state to create a really engaging story.

Available to play here:

Play the full-game

Script Excerpt - Phase 02, Bargaining

At the church

Ghost attempts to talk to a skeletal priest who is missing their bottom jaw.

Ghost: Hello, I’d like to purchase a blessing please.

Priest: Greeeekedfk gpodfkdfkf iejriojdskfjldkjfdfsd mvn fnvdkfngiew

Ghost: My baptised name is Ghost.

Priest: Gsdfskdfjl! Propsodfksdofjief jksdjlfkijei pjwejksdlf!

Ghost: Do the blessings include GST?

Priest: Cgfdgkijperoti! Igiojfdkjasdkl!

Ghost: …

Ghost: You’re not answering me.

Ghost: Hey, did you know you’re missing a jaw?

Priest: …

Ghost: Yeah, you probably did, huh?

Priest: …

Ghost: Did you want me to go find you some dentures?

Priest: !

Ghost: Ok, I’m going to find you some dentures. For one blessing, on the house please.

At the Dentist

Ghost: Hello, Dentist! I would like a fresh set of dentures please.

Dentist: I can’t do that, I just can’t. Morally. It would be… evil of me.

Ghost: Why are dentures evil, sir?

Dentist: It’s not… It’s not about… the dentures.

Dentist: It’s what they symbolise.

Dentist: They eat the candy… It just totally destroys their teeth. It decimates them.

Dentist: And they come to me, and they ask, “But isn’t it good for business?”

Dentist: And I just think…

Dentist: Do they think… that I got into dental because I wanted to see bad teeth?

Dentist: I love teeth.

Ghost: You love teeth.

Dentist: I love them.

Dentist: It breaks my heart to see them all broken and wrecked from sugar.

Ghost: It really breaks your heart?

Dentist: Oh, it really does.

Ghost: Are you for real?

Dentist: Absolutely.

Ghost: Can I have some dentures, please. I need the bottom jaw.

Dentist: I cannot, in good conscience, give you a set of dentures while the Candy Shop stands and ruins hundreds of perfect and beautiful teeths.

Ghost: Ugh!

Ghost: I wonder what I have to do!

Ghost: I wonder where I have to go!

Ghost: How challenging!

at the candy shop

Candy Clerk: Well, boy howdy!

Ghost: Hey.

Candy Clerk: What can I get for ya, champ?

Ghost: …

Candy Clerk: :)

Ghost: Buhhh……..

Candy Clerk: :)

Ghost: I’ll…. uhh…. hm……

Candy Clerk: :)

Ghost: Can I, uh, could I get, uhh…

Ghost: I’ll… uhm… sorry, I’m just sweating…

Candy Clerk: :)

Ghost: I guess I’ll just get some gum, please.

Candy Clerk: Well, gee! Too easy, friend! What flavour would you like, buddy?

Ghost: I don’t know?

Ghost: Uhmmmmm….

Candy Clerk: :}

Ghost: Just give me all of them.

Candy Clerk: All of these delicious flavours?

Ghost: Yeah, all of them.

Ghost: I don’t wanna deal with it. I’ll take them all.

Candy Clerk: Well here you go, buddy o’ mine!

RECEIVED A LOT OF… IS IT CHEWED?

RECEIVED PRE-CHEWED GUM, I GUESS?

Ghost: How much?

Candy Clerk: It’s free, I tells ya! It’s all delicious and free!

Ghost: Cool.

Candy Clerk: You come back now you hear!

Ghost: Haha.

Ghost: I’m not gonna do that.

Ghost: …

Ghost: I have an obnoxious amount of gum, and I think this might help me get some dentures.

Ghost: Question is, how?

Ghost fills the only candy dispensaries in the shop with the chewing gum.

Ghost: Oh! I get it, now! I have to use all this gum to fill up the candy dispensaries.

Ghost: That will stop the flow of delicious candy.

Ghost: And the Dentist can now work without fear of exploiting the needy.

Ghost: What excellent priorities. How fantastic.

Back at the dentist

Ghost: Hey, I stopped the flow of candy at the Candy Shop.

Dentist: How did you do that?

Ghost: I filled all the candy dispensaries with chewed up gum, obviously. Idiot.

Dentist: This is amazing, I can now re-establish an ethical practice.

Ghost: Yeah, cool, can I have dentures please.

Dentist: Absolutely, I owe you everyth–

Ghost: Yeah, whatever. You’re an ethical beast, go you.

RECEIVED REGULAR DENTURES!

Dentist: There must be more I can–

Ghost: Bye, bye, sorry, I have stuff on, I have a heart to fix. Bye!

BACK TO CHURCH

POPPED IN THOSE SWEET REGULAR DENTURES!

Ghost: There, those dentures are all set.

Priest: !

Priest with Jaw: You little fucker!

Ghost: What?

Priest with Jaw: These are a regular set of teeth!

Priest with Jaw: How dare you assume me lesser than God!

Ghost: What?

Priest with Jaw: I shall not adorn these poorman teeth while I speak words of holiness!

Priest with Jaw: Pleh!

THE FUCKER SPAT OUT HIS OWN JAW!

Priest: Fsdfj jwerjwoeir pjsdofj!

Ghost: Are you actually serious?

Ghost: Did that just happen?

Ghost: Did I really just witness a sad little priest just spit out his bottom jaw?

Ghost: …

Ghost: There’s fucking teeth on the fucking floor!

Ghost: What am I supposed to do, sell these?

Priest: Lgkdfgkowe ejwirjowie, dfsjkdfjkerj.

Ghost: You know what? You just lost your chance. I’m going to sell these.

RECEIVED THE DISCARDED DENTURES!

Ghost: Who would want to buy teeth? Someone with a creepy vibe, for sure.

BACK TO THE CANDY SHOP

Candy Clerk: You!

Ghost: Me.

Candy Clerk: You’re the one who filled all my machines with gum!

Ghost: Yeah, I did.

Candy Clerk: Why did you do that?

Ghost: So the Dentist would give me some dentures, that I could give to the Priest, so I can get back the other half of my heart.

Ghost: Obviously.

Candy Clerk: And how exactly is that working out for you?

Ghost: Well, I have dentures, and half a heart.

Ghost: That’s at least a third of my plan working. I’m just gonna take what I can get at this point.

Ghost: I have some sweet dentures for sale if you want.

Candy Clerk: Oh, I can’t stay mad at you! Dentures you say, buddy pal? For moi?

Ghost: Yeah, I don’t need these, you can have them.

Candy Clerk: Oh, I do love teeths! Precious and small and all in a line!

GAVE AWAY THE DISCARDED DENTURES!

Candy Clerk: Sunny jim! I gotta give you somethin’ good in return!

RECEIVED SOME BELLY LINT!

Ghost: Sick.

Candy Clerk: I hear there’s a special boy who loves belly lint!

Ghost: When you talk, I actually have no idea what you’re saying.

Ghost: Like, I have belly lint in my hand, but I don’t know how the conversation went.

Ghost: I don’t know why I’m holding belly lint.

Ghost: …

Ghost: What the fuck am I actually trying to do right now?

Ghost: This sucks.

Candy Clerk: :}

Ghost: …

Ghost: I’m gonna go.

HOTDOG BOY

In order to progress, the player must have talked to Hotdog Boy previously before giving them the belly lint. Additional dialogue will trigger if the player does not have belly lint.

HOTDOG BOY - intro

Hotdog Boy: Hotdogs! Getcha hotdogs! Mighty, mighty, hotdogs!

Ghost: Hello, I would like to partake in purchasing a hotdog to mend my broken heart.

Hotdog Boy: Wow! How nice and mighty of you! That’ll be… uh… let’s see…

Hotdog Boy: Some belly lint, please!

Ghost: Excuse me?

Hotdog Boy: Belly lint! I would like some piping hot belly lint!

Ghost: I… I have no belly button.
Hotdog Boy: Swipe some off your friends! I need belly lint! No belly lint, no dog!

Ghost: Is there nothing else you’re willing to barter with?

Hotdog Boy: It is very crucial that I receive belly lint! Belly lint is the only way to go! Belly lint is the only fiscally viable option!

Ghost: How is it a fiscally viable option?

Hotdog Boy: It creates hotdog demand!

Ghost: Surely it doesn’t.

Hotdog Boy: You want a hotdog?

Ghost: Desperately.

Hotdog Boy: Better find that sweet, sweet, belly lint! I need it! I need it! Please! Please!

Ghost: He knows.

HOTDOG BOY - No lint

Hotdog Boy: I cannot detect any belly lint on your persons, friend!

Ghost: Oh, sorry.

Hotdog Boy: It’s ok! It’s ok! Belly lint takes time!

Hotdog Boy: It needs time to grow and cultivate and ferment!

Ghost: Uh… No, it really shouldn’t.

HOTDOG BOY - player has Lint

Hotdog Boy: Boy howdy! Let me sniff out those pockets!

Ghost: Ok.

Hotdog Boy: I smell the smell of fresh, grassy, belly lint!

Hotdog Boy: It’s belly lint isn’t it? It’s belly lint!

Hotdog Boy: I love belly lint! The market is stabilising! The market is stabilising!

Ghost: Here.

GAVE AWAY THE PIPING HOT BELLY LINT!

Ghost: I want a hotdog now, please. I’m desperate.

Hotdog Boy: You can have a mighty fresh, mighty hotdog!

RECEIVED A HOTDOG WITH A HOLY JAW STUCK IN IT!

Ghost: This hotdog has teeth in it.

Hotdog Boy: Holy Teeth! It has yummy, juicy, Holy Teeth!

Ghost: Did the Priest try and eat this hotdog before?

Hotdog Boy: Mm… Nope!

Hotdog Boy: He didn’t! I have no idea! It’s a prize! It’s an added prize!

Ghost: Why are you lying? I’ve figured out what happened.

Hotdog Boy: There’s so many pieces in the universe, friend!

Hotdog Boy: So many amazing pieces that come together! So many pieces only good boys know about!

Hotdog Boy: You scratched my back! Now I scratch yours! The Holy Teeth were never there! But always there, only for you!

Hotdog Boy: It’s good and new! They’re nice and full of juice!

Ghost: I’m terrified.

Hotdog Boy: Good luck on your quest! Good luck! Hotdogs are always here! And they’re friendly, just for you!

Ghost: And mighty.

Hotdog Boy: Yes!

Bin chicken has a go

Characters

  • Player: the red bin chicken detective, grizzled, primed for justice.
  • Eugene: a nervous italian greyhound IT worker.

desc.

Full-script of interactions with the character, Eugene.

Text in [ ] indicates the player needs to click to progress the conversation.

Dialogue aims to showcase strong character voices and descriptive flavor text.

Available to play here:

Play full-game here

Script Excerpt - Eugene Interactions

Eugene's Coffee order

Eugene tentatively takes the Earl Grey, ensuring his fingertips are only just grasping the end of the cylinder. His wrists are shakey… He is shakey.

[You appear unnerved by material gestures, Eugene.]

Eugene: “Oh, yes, well, um… I’m simply curious as to, uh, what sort of milk permeates the contents of this cup?”

[“Soy, Eugene.”]

Eugene: “I can’t remember which milk is the one with the most electrolytes.”

[“It’s probably soy, Eugene.”]

Eugene: “Ah, ok! Ok! That’s good! This is what I need! Thanks, {Player Name}.”

[“…”]

Eugene: “I need to return the gesture, desperately! I can’t sleep knowing this is being held over me. In fact, most nights I have nightmares.”

[“It was an Earl Grey, Eugene.”]

The mundanity of the situation simply does not strike him, and hands you an object.

[…]

Eugene hands you a ball made of elastic bands he had been fidgeting with. It feels sticky, feathers cling to it as you attempt to pry it off you.

[“This is everything I dreamed of having, you’ve alleviated all debts to me.”]

Eugene: “Well that’s good, that makes my consistent sense of dread feel a lot more prone to unpredictability.”

[You can see his fingers fidgeting.]

Eugene obviously regrets giving up his possession.

You feel confused and weathered by burdens of social conduct.

*[Leave.]

*[Stay.]

 

=Leave.

Conversation ends.

 

=Stay.

Eugene: “… You know it’s not true, right.”

[“What are we discussing, Eugene?”]

Eugene: “I didn’t kill anybody, {Player Name}.”

[Yeah?”]

Eugene: “It’s just rumours.”

[It’s time to leave.]

Conversation ends.

Eugene Strealing Mice

Conversation can be triggered after the player finds their floppy disk to be empty, only with a memo stating Eugene has undigitized all company documents.

* [“Eugene, as someone I had assumed did not appreciate material gestures, I am frustrated you have stolen a mouse.”]

* [“Eugene, in an act of good faith, I am requesting a mouse.”]

 

= “Eugene, as someone I had assumed did not appreciate material gestures, I am frustrated you have stolen a mouse.”

->Stand-off.

 

= Eugene, in an act of good faith, I am requesting a mouse.

->Deal.

 

=Stand-off.

Eugene has jittered beyond the physical capabilities of your vision. He appears as an effective blur in a space of reality.

 

* [Engage.]

* [Apologise.]

 

=Engage.

Player: “The gritty reality of the world is sometimes, you gotta tell people where things are, instead of shaking beyond the physics of reality.”

[His face is visible once more. The rest of him continues to pulsate beyond constraint.]

Player: “Eugene, I’m desperate for a mouse. The tables have turned, Slick. It’s me that has been weighed down by trivialities and debts, and I need your help.”

[The shakening has ceased, his form is unfortunately physical once more.]

Eugene: “Oh, um. I didn’t realise you needed one, I just get really tense when I feel cornered.”

He must feel cornered a lot.

Player: “It’s just a mouse, I’m not going to grip you with my claws of justice over it.”]

Eugene: “Oh, so, Elijah hasn’t noticed…”

[“What?”]

Eugene: “Huh?”

[“You said something about Elijah?”]

Eugene: “Let’s just… figure something out, please. I feel my blood pressure reaching an uncomfortable stasis.”

->Deal.

 

=Apologise.

Player: “Sometimes you’re a bean, and sometimes you’re the frying pan. This one’s on me, bud. I’m the frying pan, and you are the…”

[He’s the bean.]

Player: “Well, you’re the bean, I guess.”

[A slight tug pulls his unnervingly smooth muzzle; shiny in all the wrong places.]

Eugene: “I like beans.”

->Deal.

 

=Deal.

“What, uh… How to put this… What kind of mouse are you looking for? I’m very much in need of, um, details.”

 

* [“Has the loss of life’s precious sentiments slipped into your stresses, compadre?”]

* [“Is that a stash of mice over in your cubicle, Eugene?”]

 

= “Has the loss of life’s precious sentiments slipped into your stresses, compadre?”

Eugene: “You’re scaring me.”

    -> Give Eugene the ball.

 

= “Is that a stash of mice over in your cubicle, Eugene?”

-> Point out Eugene’s mouse pile.

 

==Give Eugene the ball.

Player: “Scaring you? By no means do I seek to instill the fears of the world upon your brittle frame. But grasped by clutches of my own ignorance, I can’t do this without you.”

[“I need that mouse Eugene.”]

Eugene appears in a state of pre-implosion, moved by the melody of your poetry.

Eugene: “Uh, I uh… There’s… I need… I need… I need something. You’re confusing me, I feel confused, I feel like I’m melting. Am I melting? I might be melting, I don’t know what to do with my hands.”

[What a fantastic opportunity to return the rank ball.]

You slap that sucker into the meek hook of Eugene’s hand.

Eugene: “My ball. My hands! I have something to do with my hands!”

[He stares and fiddles with the ball in his hand, you are discomforted by the dexterity in his fingers.]

Eugene: “I feel calm, I feel at peace, I feel like I can do anything.”

His eyes do not move from the ball. However, they twinkle.

You need to get him back on track.

[“… Does the term ‘Gladys’ mean anything to you?”]

In the blink of an eye, he smacks his meek hook into your capable and feathered shoulder.

And suddenly, the twinkle in his eye is gone, as he stores the ball into his pocket.

He sighs.

[“Why did you sigh?”]

Eugene: “I’m disappointed in myself.”

[“Why don’t you sigh more often?”]

Eugene: “Because there are things that I am not disappointed by.”

[“Like what?”]

Eugene: “The colour palette of this office is very inspiring.”

[“… Can you please just give me the mouse.”]

YOU GOT A MOUSE

Conversation ends.

 

== Point out Eugene’s mouse pile.

Eugene: “It may be. It may be. It may be a stash of mice, it may in fact be that. It could also not be that, it could be that you are weathered and have bin-like tendencies.”

[That’s a lot of nerve for this shakey boy.]

Eugene: “It could be that you are struggling to see anything other than mice because that is what bins are filled with, you love bins, you see mice, that is a reasonable conclusion.”

[…]

Eugene: “Perhaps I should, in fact, be asking you, if you have a stash of mice, and if in fact, you are ok? Are you ok? Is everything ok? It feels like not enough people ask you if you are ok, and it’s ok to not be ok because no one asks if you’re ok.”

[“You can just give me a mouse, Eugene.”]

“Ok.”

[“And take your ball back too, I feel like you need it.”]

Eugene perks up immediately, handing you a mouse from somewhere beneath a paper pile, in exchange for a very melty rubber band ball.

He seems… whole again?

YOU GOT A MOUSE

Conversation ends.

Eugene's Undigitized Files

Conversation can be triggered after the player finds their floppy disk to be empty, only with a memo stating Eugene has undigitized all company documents.

[“Hey Eugene, what on the great bin of this earth does it mean to ‘undigitize’ a file?”]

Eugene: “Oh, uhm, did Gladys allow you passage into her secret solitaire space?”

He’s trying to tell a joke, but has no idea of the concept of language and what sounds wrong.

[“Give me the report, Eugene.”]

Eugene: “I can’t do that.”

[“Why not?”]

Eugene: “I can’t say. Sorry, {Player Name}”

[“Eugene, this is imperative, and life changing.”]

Eugene: “… No.”

[“Eugene, you stole a mouse, then you stole some crucial files, I’m going to have to send in an HR Report.”]

Eugene: “A what?”

[“An HR Report, I’m telling HR that you are simply exacerbating my growing sense of futility in engaging with the somber atmosphere of this space.”]

Eugene: “Oh dear, does that mean that the status of my employment will be up for review?”

[“No, it just means we will have to engage in multiple meetings and exercises to resolve our perpetual conflicts.”]

Eugene: “Oh god, no. Anything but that. I’m sorry, this isn’t what I wanted at all! I was just concerned about data breaches, and the sounds of tapping keyboards and mouses rolling!”

[You probably should’ve noticed all the piles of paper in Eugene’s cubicle.]

Eugene: “I just find in terms of texture and efficiency, paper is simply the superior way to go. With my impenetrable categorising system, there’s nothing to rival it.”

[Some of the paper is soggy?]

Player: “Eugene, let me level with you.”

He appears more rigid than ever.

[“Give me the report I need and keep your filing system. No follow ups, no HR, nothing.”]

Eugene: “Done.”

YOU GOT A REPORT

It’s surprisingly in-tact and unbent, save for some teeth marks.

[You want to ask as much as you don’t.]

Eugene: “What’s the report?”

[“I DON’T KNOW EUGENE.”]

Conversation ends.

Player's Birthday

Eugene looks up from his elastic ball momentarily.

Eugene: “This ball means everything to me.”

[“Why’d you give it to me?”]

Eugene: “It was your birthday. Happy birthday.”

[“But you didn’t wish me a happy birthday, Eugene, you just passed me a ball.”]

Eugene: “I thought it was the subtext. Was it not the subtext?”

[“Well, you were visibly uncomfortable after giving me the ball.”]

Eugene: “I was subtextually sacrificing a part of myself for a big life event.”

 

* [There’s no natural end here, you need to leave.]

* [“…You enjoy aspects of sacrifice for big life events?”]

 

=There’s no natural end here, you need to leave.

Conversation ends.

 

= “…You enjoy aspects of sacrifice for big life events?”

Eugene: “Doesn’t everyone?”

[“No.”]

Eugene: “Oh, umm. Guess I’m a little bit like this ball then.”

He winces as he smiles and gestures to the odorous rubber band ball.

[“Odd? You’re an oddball?”]

Eugene: “Oh, uh, no. I was talking about my bouncey personality and general malleability. I’m gooier than you would imagine, {Player Name}. Some say the office clown.” He chuckles to himself and looks at you for approval.

[It’s your birthday, you can leave.]

Conversation ends.

BIN CHICKEN HAS A GO!

Each employee in the game is associated with a job and animal that corresponds with their personality and role.

As Australians developing the game, it was imperative that these were Australian-themed animals to really drive our own personal experiences into the game.

Play full-game here

CHARACTERS

Player name - Red ibis

Data analyst / grizzled detective
Grizzled
Mysterious
Stinky
DESCRIPTION

Bored of mundanity, this noir-inspired employee is out to uncover the deep-rooted mysteries of the office.

A red ibis because ibis’ are inherently chaotic, and a red ibis is a mysterious and unknown creature.

EXAMPLE Bark

“My scarlet feathers are dulled by the grimness of this town…” 

EUGENE - italian greyhound

Data analyst
Nervous
Sweaty
Particular
DESCRIPTION

A medical mystery through his capacity to stand semi-upright with no spine. He has odd hobbies no one really questions to keep him semi-functional.

An italian greyhound to match his inherently nervous demeanor. 

EXAMPLE Bark

“Gah!” – “Uh…” – Eugene appears to be trembling. 

Elijah - Monitor lizard

IT worker
Tired
Bored
Hungry
DESCRIPTION

Motivated purely by food and any means to avoid an interaction with co-workers, Elijah is the embodiment of the true essence of being an IT Worker.

Monitor lizard due to his physically intimidating demeanor but docile nature once you actually get to know him.

EXAMPLE Bark

“Go away.”

Gladys - Cockatoo

Receptionist
Endearing
Slow
Kind
DESCRIPTION

With absolutely 0 computer skills but 100% charm, Gladys is the perfect person to be behind the reception counter. She always has a tin of bikkies ready to go for anyone who’s having a bit of bum day.

A cockatoo because she has a bit of a cheeky side to her, and even when she’s frustrating you can’t stay mad at her for long.

EXAMPLE Bark

“Hello, love! Are you keeping warm?”

Heather - Possum

Boss!
Confident
Organized
Compassionate
DESCRIPTION

In control, friendly, and able to keep a level head. Heather appears to be the perfect version of what an adult should be and is adamant she does not chew wires.

Possum’s are confident and known to approach people at parks with little fear, which is the sort of person Heather is.

EXAMPLE Bark

“Make sure to take breaks when you need to! We don’t do this ‘live to work’ nonsense around here.”

Steve? Trent? Kevin? - Cat (DSH)

Eh, probably sales
Ignorant
Brazen
Chatty
DESCRIPTION

Cats in Australia are a pest to the native wildlife, a theme in-keeping in this game. Steve(?) is always ready to sell you his next hit idea on a whim. He has never failed with an idea in his life, mostly because he’s never started.

EXAMPLE Bark

“Hey hey, it’s the big bird! Listen, I’ve got a good friend who reckons if we buy into asdhfgasdfhadf we could really be making millions!” 

Resort Zero

Expertise

  • Writing in pre-established styles, maintaining the ethereal qualities while adding in my own voice
  • Developing an abstract character that feeds into the broader and more complex narrative
  • Creating a story that feels otherworldly and surreal, yet feels plausible in the broader narrative

Available to play here:

PLAY THE FULL GAME

OUTLINE

You are a travel writing journalist looking to write a piece about a bizarre hotel that draws in a variety of abstract guests from a range of backgrounds. Your job is to interview the guests to develop your article.

The more you learn from the guests, the more you learn about the supernatural and intense qualities of the world around you. Your insight grows with each interview, and your travel writing piece becomes a secondary thought as your very mind begins to shift.

sYSTEM

This bizarro narrative features a gameplay system that hinges on the player character’s belief system. The more they are drawn to specific guests and engage in their dialogue in specific ways, the more they begin to adhere to that guest’s ideology.

The more understanding they grow around the ideology, the more underlying points they’ll earn. The points will allow the player to unlock more dialogue and ultimately affect the ending.

With the theme of ‘Architecture,’ the underlying ideologies are bizarre and non-traditional and are as follows:

  • Constructivist
  • Neoclassicist
  • Neoliberalist
  • Creationist

aPPROACH

The dialogue is ethereal, otherworldly, and reads as though the characters have been plucked directly from out of a dream. A lot of my strength in dialogue comes from the direct language used by characters, a transparency in what they say with little room for interpretation. Having a tonal shift where everything in the world is subtext or an unknown posed something of a challenge. From here, the ‘Mother’ character was developed.

I wanted to use the concept of how we engage with Motherhood for the foundation of the characters’ abstractness. She comes across initially as relatable and comical, in the way a kindly mother might. But as you engage more with her, what was light-hearted is actually something more intense and unknown. Some of these include:

  • She has three sons who she refers to as her ‘boys’ – could this allude to something more?
  • She constantly refers to motherhood and how it ‘really changes you,’ – what about you does it change? What is motherhood in this context?
  • The Mother also discusses how there’s something special about the hotel, if you take the time to just appreciate it, you’ll feel it. Though this initially comes across as the wisdoms of an older woman who no longer wishes to rush through life, there is more underlying what she says. What is it that she’s feeling?

 

Though grounded a bit more in reality, enjoying hotel amenities and being confused by bigger words, her semblance of normalcy unravels slowly the more she delves into what motherhood means to her. As she discusses her ‘boys’ and how motherhood changes you, it becomes clearer that the change she refers to is something intangible and incomprehensible to human perception.

Her key ideology is Creationism, and engaging with her in discussions about her sons furthers the player’s understanding of this. Creationism in this context is not explicitly tied to Christianity, but is a reflection of the sentiment of miracle and new life.

If the player’s understanding of Creationism is high enough, it is revealed that her missing ‘son’ is the concept of Ambition, which is being held hostage by the bowels of the hotel. 

The player can choose to unleash Ambition with her or follow the ideologies of the other hotel guests to the continued imprisonment of her son.

Resort Zero

Characters

  • You, a travel writer
  • Mother, who lives and breathes for her children

Available to play here:

PLAY THE FULL GAME

Script Excerpt - Wednesday

The player presses the intercom to Room 2.

* [Oh, uhm, hello.]
* [I’m a reporter.]
* [Think I’ve got the wrong room.] 

=Oh, uhm, hello
Mother: Oh, my lord. I’m so sorry for taking so long to get to this dang screen! (She forces a sweet tone).

-> small_talk

 

=I’m a reporter
Mother: Well, what a cute surprise. I’m sure everyone’s got their stories to tell. Boy, I’ve got mine!

-> questioning

 

=Think I’ve got the wrong room.
Mother: This wasn’t a chance meeting, come back again, dear.
-> end_interview

 

=small_talk

That’s fine, I was just conducting interviews for a magazine.

Mother: A who?

*[A magazine.]

*[We’re conducting a survey on the guests in the hotel.]

 

=A magazine.

Mother: Oh, a magazine! I love magazines! Oh, am I gonna be famous? Are me and my boys going to be in the public eye?

*[(Interrupt her.)]

*[(Let her continue.)]

 

=(Interrupt her.)

Do you have a moment to chat?

Mother: Well, of course I do! Any chance to get away from these boys. You know how they can get!

-> I’m a reporter.   

 

=Let her continue.

Mother: I love my boys, I have three little ones. They’re such a treat, they’re a menace sometimes, but I love these boys. These boys are all I have…

~change(creationist, 2)

~add_score(30)

-> I’m a reporter.   

 

= We’re conducting a survey on the guests in the hotel

Mother: I ordered fries for my boys about five minutes ago, and they still haven’t arrived. They’re getting rambunctious! It’s difficult, being a mother to three.

-> A magazine.   

 

=questioning

*[This briefcase was sitting out in the hall.] (If the player has the briefcase.)

*[I’m seeking a few quotes about the resort.]

*[Are you a regular guest?]

*[What, would you say, is the raison d’être of a building?] (If the player has learned about architecture from another guest.)

*[What makes this building special?] (If the player has learned about architecture from another guest.)

*[This resort’s pretty daggy.] (If the player has learned about architecture from another guest.)

* [(You’ve got enough)]

 

= This briefcase was sitting out in the hall.

Mother: That’s some beautiful leather. You could probably sell it to a very rich person for a big bit of capital. Isn’t that a fun word?

-> questioning

 

= I’m seeking a few quotes about the resort.

Mother: Uhm… well, the staff are lovely. I’ll have to get back to you on the fries, though. And it’s truly a blessing to be here.

-> resort

 

=Are you a regular guest?

Mother: Oh no, I’d love to be. We’ve been once before. But my kids just eat up all my time!

~ add_score(80)

-> resort

 

=What, would you say, is the raison d’être of a building?

Mother: …I think the ragout is very nice.

~ add_score(10)

 

=What makes this building special?

Mother: I think…Its soul. I can tell you what I feel, but I think the guest in room 1 might be able to make it all pretty-sounding.

(You’ve got a potential lead on the mother.)

(There’s someone in room 1.)

~ learn(mother_keyone)

~ learn(critic_location)

~ add_score(50)

 

=This resort’s pretty daggy.

Mother: I think the carpet feels quite nice on your feet! You should be more optimistic! I tell you, having kids makes even the ordinary seem extraordinary.

~ add_score(10)

 

=(You’ve got enough.)

I think I’ve got enough.

-> end_interview

 

=end_interview

One of four lines will be selected:

  • You see her turn to playfully scold her children.
  • They’re gone.
  • The screen blinks out.
  • The pixels overwhelm the guest’s face.

Questions loop until player leaves conversation or exhausts all options. Players cannot choose a previously selected question thread again.

 

=resort

*[Have you met any of the other guests in the hotel?]

*[Why have you come to the resort?]

 

= Have you met any of the other guests in the hotel?

Mother: Ugh, have I? They have their heads shoved so far up their own ass I’m surprised they’re able to take in the sites.

*[Why do you think you’re so grounded?]

*[They’re a pretentious bunch.]

 

== Why do you think you’re so grounded?

Mother: Having kids really changes you.

~ change(creationist, 2)

~ add_score(100)

 

==They’re a pretentious bunch.

Mother: Completely! The wallpaper is lovely, but sometimes I want to think about other things! It’s just that they’re so far away from the true joys in life.

*[Like?]

*[Nothing better than being a mother.]

 

===Like?

Mother: Children, honey. I know everyone says it, but it’s so true. I couldn’t stand being without these little ones. Who knows where I’d be. Who knows who I’d be.

(You’ve got a potential lead on the mother.)

~ learn(mother_keyone)

~ change(creationist, 2)

~ add_score(130)

 

===Nothing better than being a mother.

Mother: It’s a god-given privilege to be able to create life from nothingness, you understand?

~ change(creationist, 3)

~ add_score(180)

 

=Why have you come to the resort?

Mother: I came to the resort because I felt like it was right for the boys to truly experience the spiritual. It’s about teaching them intuition. I feel it’s my responsibility.

(You learned something about the mother.) #NEW_LEAD

~ learn(mother_keyone)

~ change(creationist, 3)

~ add_score(300)

*[The spiritual?]

*[Teaching them intuition?]

*[I see.]

 

==The spiritual?

Mother: Oh god, honey, of course. You one of them cynics?

*[Not cynical, just curious.]

 

=== Not cynical, just curious.

Mother: Then you’ll be just fine.

*[(Continue.)]

 

====(Continue.)

She smiles as if she’s proud of you.

 

==Teaching them intuition?

Mother: Yeah, like, when you go to pee in the middle of the night and your hair stands on end. You’re not sure why, but… I mean, we know why.

~ change(creationist, 1)

*[I find it’s usually because I’m quite cold.]

*[Because you’re being watched?]

 

 

===I find it’s usually because I’m quite cold.

Mother: I like you, I could just eat you up!

 

===Because you’re being watched?

Mother: We’re always being watched, honey. You should be careful, especially around here. I got your back, though.

==I see.

Mother: I just think it’s real fun here!

-> end_interview