Research
The group has already and will most likely additionally research the themes of the game via documentaries about social isolation and hikikomori-related phenomena . One of the group ’ s main interests is also to gather important knowledge of environmental storytelling to decide how to tell ( or hint at ) the story with only ambient sounds and visual presentation of the room . One of the group members will write the story with as many details as possible with an intention to give a more traditional storytelling reference .
The story will be set in near fictional future , with the shut-in-behaviour increasingly becoming more common and spread throughout the society . Consequently the group ’ s mission is to think and construct ways for the hikikomori life being more possible or acceptable ( e . g . how do they get food without leaving their room , if and how they communicate with their loved ones , how can they afford the lifestyle , basically how these persons could be enabled to live as a hikikomori , if at all ).
Art , Aesthetics and Gameplay
We want the game aesthetic to be ‘’ comfy ’’ as the character who spends days in the room will probably make him- or herself comfortable . The graphical presentation of the game will be based on simple 3D modelling combined with simple flat textures . The graphic art of the game will be created with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop . The game will be made interactive and playable within the Unity gaming engine environment . The sound material , mostly atmospheric in function , would come from the actual environment of the ( thus sound- ) mapped tunnel , or possibly from the interaction with the its migrant inhabitants .
The game will be played with computer by mouse input only , by clicking on interactive objects . The character can move around the room , but the camera will be locked on certain positions , as the game focuses on the narrative and attempts to be of cinematic quality . The player will have to interact with different objects in the game to progress in the story and the game itself .
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