Arun&Tilak

Synopsis : In the near future, a virus that causes immediate amnesia has spread to India. The government has developed a new technology to counter the virus: the digitization of memories. Arun goes to the Temple with his little brother so that he can benefit from the technology. On her way she will meet several characters and gather clues. She will discover that the city is hiding something and will question her choices...

Throughout the game the player is led to make choices, decide where to hide, accept or not to help another character, choose which memory to erase from his memory. All this can change the course of history.

Memories are stored in an implant, protected from the virus. The storage space of this implant is limited and you have to pay to enlarge it. As a result, the poorest populations have few memories while the wealthiest have much more memories, their memory is more nuanced.

The implant is installed during a ceremony in the Temple, it is a sacred moment for the people. The memory of the main character is often saturated, the player must choose which memories to delete and which to keep.

This is where the two main characters, Arun and Tilak, originate. These people live in ruins of rebuilt temples, composed of blocks.

Arun is a young woman of strong character, ready to do anything to protect her brother. She comes from a modest background, so her clothes are worn, pierced, patched. Her outfits are made of different fabrics that do not necessarily go together. She adopts a practical clothing cut to be able to move around. She is resourceful and good at tinkering with things. Tilak is an endearing, enthusiastic and curious little boy. He has clothes designed for running and playing. He’s a dissipated child, his shoelaces are badly tied, his clothes in a hurry. His clothes are soiled by mud.

Some costume searches for Arun before the final result.

The market is a mysterious and dark place. Arun meets there the merchant of offerings who gives her clues for the continuation of her quest. The merchant is a squeaky and sniveling being but she has good intentions. The player can make choices here that will be decisive for the rest of the story...

With this key art I wanted to show that the game is primarily narrative. Dialogue choices lead to different side quests. I made a 3D blockout of the scene on Blender and paint over it on Photoshop.

Character design process of the merchent starting with a sketch.

The city is full of neon lights, shops are numerous. The player walks around the city and discovers the different shops.

It is the richest part of the city. It is technological, built in height. Its illuminated signs colour the streets.

As for the previous key art, I modeled the city on Blender then painted over it on Photoshop to give the final result a painterly look.

The mayor is an unfriendly, haughty, cold person. She is the head of the city.

Place of passage, peaceful and quiet. This is the point departure to the Temple. People come and go off the harbour. The city is thriving thanks to the fishermen who travel around the Upper Town. 

I had a lot of fun rendering this scene on Blender, trying different moods. I also did some research on boats. Inspired by Indian fishing boats and floating houses of the state of Kerala in India.

The Temple is a sacred place for this people. It is the place where the implant ceremony takes place.

Arun and Tilak arrive at the Temple to attend the ceremony.

The player can interact with most of the objects in the game. Some objects will give him clues on the rest of the story. 

The cemetery is full of vegetation. Arun roams the graves in search of an additional clue. She discovers clues about their parents and understands that the new technology is not so beneficial to their society.

This is where the story ends. Depending on the choice of the player during the game, he can unlock a different ending to the story. 

Thank you for your attention.

Maïna Hervé, Pivaut School, Promo 2022/2023