Runaway

Runaway

Logline:

A young girl runs to escape from a rising water in a mysterious cave or risk drowning.

Robin:

is a young girl running away from home. She falls into her subconscious when she slips and falls into a puddle. She wakes to find herself in an mysterious cave.

Reference - Moodboard

Concepts

Originally, Robin was going to be outfitted with a yellow raincoat. It didn't suit who she was and her background struggles. I chose a plaid shirt, dipping into a grudge style, which more accurately depicted her background and where she was coming from.

Model

I started with a base mesh and steadily sculpted it into who Robin. I duplicated the mesh and expanded it out for the clothing. I then sculpted the clothing into the correct shape and style.

Environment

Reference - Moodboard - Cave

The mood of the cave is representative of Robin’s mind. I wanted the environment to to lean into a painterly style. While realism would carry a harder impact to the narrative of the story, I want the player to view the environment as a dream.

Concepts

I started with a rough block-out of the environment using basic privatives in Unreal Engine. It helped me understand the space and how the player would move through the environment.

Paintovers

Memories

Robin’s memories are of her impoverish abusive homelife. Each of her memories causes more emotional duress which is represented in the game by obstacles she must face.

Reference - Moodboard - Memories

Mechanics

Rising Water

-Symbolic of depression and anxiety

-As each memory plays out, the water continues to rise chasing the player

Pushing Force

-Symbolic of parents yelling

-Makes the player wait with the water still rising, building tension

Clearing Trash

-Symbolic of the bad environment 

-Robin has to clear the trash in order to progress.

-The player and Robin are now working together to solve the problem instead of in the memory when robin decides not clear the trash and leaves ultimately defeated

Falling Objects

-Symbolic of physical abuse

-Rocks stun Robin once they hit her causing her to pause for a moment.

Game Demo