Writing Samples
A small range of writing samples from key games and comics ranging across 2019-2024. You can play the full-range of these on my itch.io!
games.
Features writing for a range of genres including comedy, mobile, surrealist, and horror.
Click the title to open the accordion!
Tales of the Shire - Descriptions & Letters
WRITING
UNITY C#
IP
FANTASY
COZY
Various screenshots of descriptions and letters I have written featured in Tales of the Shire.
The overall aim was to infuse the world with prose and delight wherever players looked, given the inherent nature of the Lord of the Rings series.
letters.
Players receive letters from Hobbits in the game, and can also send out invites. Letters can be an acceptance to a player inviting them to a meal, or simply spam as seen with Hobson.
When a hobbit is accepting a players’ invite to a meal, they will also respond with a unique poem to them that conveys a particular flavour they crave for the meal.
Screenshots from NinteTalk & Nerd of the Rings.
ingredients & recipes.
Ingredients are used to make meals, and can help alter the flavour of a dish.
Certain ingredients are obtainable through specific characters. Because of this, some ingredients are written from the perspective of the character the player-hobbit would be obtaining information from e.g. Old Noakes is the voice for fish descriptions.
locations.
Map descriptions that are implied to have been written by Bilbo Baggins. Due to the high-regard of the character and considerable lore impacts, all of these were a collaborative effort with a Tolkien expert and edited heavily.
Real Racing 3 - Mission & Dialogue
QUEST DESIGN
CUSTOM ENGINE
MOBILE
CHARACTER-DRIVEN
COMEDY
DRAMA
An excerpt of dialogue from Real Racing 3’s Track Day: Speedster V12. These are 7-day quests featuring a key car that players can unlock if they complete the quest. These cars are the focus of each monthly update.
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.
Available to play on mobile. Read the full-script here:
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.
Bin Chicken Has a Go! - Character Guide
NARRATIVE DESIGN
INKLE
UNITY C#
NOIR
COMEDY
MYSTERY
AWARD WINNING!
A brief summary and breakdown of the characters within Bin Chicken Has a Go!
Each employee in the game is associated with a job and animal that corresponds with their personality and role. Their voice, appearance, and personality had to be developed quickly due to the time constraints of a game jam.
As Australians developing the game, it was imperative that these were Australian-themed animals to really drive our own personal experiences into the game.
Player - Red Ibis
data analyst / grizzled detective.
grizzled
mysterious
stinky
Bored of mundanity, this noir-inspired employee is out to uncover the deep-rooted mysteries of the office.
Written as 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
An italian greyhound to match his inherently nervous demeanor. He is 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.
example barks.
“Gah!” – “Uh…” – Eugene appears to be trembling.
Elijah - Monitor lizard
IT worker.
cranky
bored
hungry
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 barks.
“Go away.” – “Nope.” – “Not happening.”
Gladys - Cockatoo
receptionist.
endearing
slow
kind
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.
As a cockatoo she has a bit of a cheeky side to her, and even when she’s frustrating she still has a way to charm you!
example bark.
“Hello, love! Are you keeping warm?”
“A cheeky little bikkie wouldn’t hurt…”
Heather - Possum
Boss!
confident
organized
caring
In control, friendly, and able to keep a level head, Heather appears to be the perfect version of what an adult should be.
Possum’s are confident and known to approach people at parks with little fear, which is the sort of person Heather is.
example barks.
“Make sure to take breaks when you need to! We don’t do this ‘live to work’ nonsense around here.”
Steve? - Cat
eh, probably sales.
ignorant
brazen
chatty
Cats in Australia are a pest to the native wildlife, a theme in-keeping in this game. Trent(?) 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.
“If we buy into asdhfgasdfhadf we could really be making millions!”
“Mate, you won’t believe what I just thought of!”
Bin Chicken Has a Go! - Prose & Branching Dialogue
NARRATIVE DESIGN
INKLE
UNITY C#
NOIR
COMEDY
MYSTERY
AWARD WINNING!
characters.
- Player: the red bin chicken detective, grizzled, primed for justice.
- Eugene: a nervous, italian greyhound, data analyst.
desc.
The following is a full-script of interactions with the character, Eugene. This dialogue aims to showcase strong character voices and descriptive flavor text.
Text in [ ] indicates the player needs to click to progress the conversation.
-> indicates a new dialogue choice tree, find the matching title that has = to continue.
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 steals computer 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.
This is the end of the game once the player enters the office break-room to find a surprise party.
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.
Resort Zero - Branching Dialogue
NARRATIVE DESIGN
INKLE
UNITY C#
SURREAL
HORROR
MYSTERY
Written for PS1 Horror Jam in 2021, 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.
characters.
- You, a travel writer
- Mother, who lives and breathes for her children
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
Symposium of Grief - Narrative Outline
NARRATIVE DESIGN
UNITY C#
CHARACTER-DRIVEN
DARK COMEDY
DRAMA
This section outlines the approach to designing the narrative and world for Symposium of Grief (2019), a solo capstone project with 2-4hrs of playtime.
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 another character having to prompt them.
comics.
Written for and published in Media Express’ Voiceworks magazine across several editions.
donut blood (2021)
it's the soda (2021)
a corporate pickle (2022)
the gods should (2023)
static (2023)
