Environmental Design - The Junk Divers Game
Added 2023-08-03 17:00:01 +0000 UTC[Key to the Future’s Fate is currently on HIATUS. The story will return with CHAPTER 3 on AUGUST 24TH. In the meantime, please enjoy this CONCEPT ART for the series!]
Similar to the Quizard Duel section, I'd hit a point in my script where I needed a visual element to tie to the plot. Specifically, this segment would be where Leon fully breaks down, realizing that he can't possibly make the call for how to guide the future himself... but he /does/ get inspiration for where he can find the key.
Thankfully, I knew ahead of time that he'd suggest going to check landfills for it - I even foreshadowed it slightly with two trash-related jokes up to this point - but I still needed the element to trigger him into having that epiphany.
Enter, Junk Divers.
Because I don't spend my time wisely, I developed an entire game concept around digging through trash to find treasure. Because symbolism or something. But yes, I developed an idea for a game that was a little bit Pac-Man, a little bit Dig Dug, and a little bit a weird puzzle/exploration. The player digs up and down through multiple floors, looking for treasure. There's a map telling you what floor you're on, but there are multiple exits in and out of most floors, and often multiple "stages" on a single floor. The major challenges of the game are navigating back and forth between an increasingly complex set of differently-shaped rooms, all while at risk of being chased and cornered by killer robots.
If I ever need to develop a little video game, I think I'd make this in real life.
Anyway, I also made the place one plays the game this faux garbage truck, allowing Leon to stay in one place while Luca trusts him enough to go out and explore a bit on her own. Overall, I'm pretty proud of how all of those elements came together.
