Visual Storyteller | Producer
Alone, Not Lonely
Description:
Alone, Not Lonely is a mixed 2D and 3D, Puzzle and Adventure game taking place in the Louisiana Bayou. You play as a 7 year old child who wakes up to an empty house in the middle of the night, that becomes not so empty once a mysterious figure is discovered in their attic. Your goal is to follow after this new-found figure through a maze of your own home and imaginary fears. All in an effort to find out the figure's true identity, and to escape your overwhelming feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
Production Info:
Production Dates: November 2020 - June 2021
Team Size: 8 Members
Engine: Unity Game Engine
Platform: PC (Windows and Mac)
Awards and Recognitions
Alone, Not Lonely was presented at the 2021 UCSC Games Showcase on June 9th, 2021. During this livestream event, the entire team was able to come together and talk about our individual experiences working on the game. While also providing a playthrough video of our completed game, for viewers to enjoy and ask further questions about our project.
Alone, Not Lonely was awarded the Capstone Production Award on July 1, 2021 at the 2021 UCSC Games Showcase Awards for our "excellence in production, teambuilding, and collaboration".
I was awarded the Secret Bonus Award on July 1, 2021 at the 2021 UCSC Games Showcase Awards. A recognition for students who "quietly made a large impact on their team’s game".
My Roles
Producer, Creative Director, Concept Artist, UI Artist, 2D Artist and Animator
As the Producer of this project, my responsibilities included:
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Scheduling meetings with the team, inclusively and exclusively
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Developing quarterly plans and milestone dates; and keeping track of asset assignments, creations, and completions utilizing Google Workspace Applications
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Preparing and providing important design documents, forms, and meeting notes for the team and external viewers
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Curating and sustaining our Twitter Account, websites, and promotional videos
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Planning playtesting sessions and informational presentations for the game
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Maintaining team morale, and providing support to ensure ease and productivity
As the Creative Director and an Artist on this project, my responsibilities included:
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Establishing the stylist direction of the game's environment
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Providing storyboards, concept art, and references for the 2D, 3D, and Sound Design team, as a guide for asset creation
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Producing the animated beginning cutscene and end credit scene for the final game
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Collaborating and offering support with the creation of 2D assets when necessary
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Working with our Programming and Level Design team to make sure all intended gameplay elements can be implemented, and that all narrative elements are showcased
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Curating wireframe samples, and producing the final UI elements for the game
Production Reflection
What was Successful
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We were able to provoke our intended aesthetics of the game from our players
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Everyone had a chance to grow and take initiative, in their area of interest, within their designated roles
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We met all major milestones during our Winter and Spring Production Cycles
What were our Setbacks
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We spent a longer time developing our first level (the Attic) than initially planned, which lead to us dedicating less time on the remaining 5 levels of the game
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Working as a remote team, there were times were communication would fall flat, and I would have to urge team members to remain active and attentive
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Lack of transparency in the current status of 2D assets being made, would lead to a build up of tasks that conflicted with the intended production schedule
Production Takeaways
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Its important for the entire team to be up to date on the current state of the game and to have played the current version
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Having 1 on 1 check ins (as a producer) allows for a safe space to further support and ensure the best for team members during production
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Taking note of work habits during early production, helps in the development and adjustment of schedules in future production plans
