EXPLORE THE GAMES:
⟢ Thesis
⟢ Capstone
⟢ Studio II
⟢ Major Studio
⟢ Elective
The Night Courier
⊹ ࣪.⋆~⊹₊⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆✩࿐
For Studio II
Summoned by a letter from an old friend, you become the newest bike messenger in a town that feels strangely alive, even though the streets are deserted. Just focus on making your deliveries and not getting lost... your friend will turn up any day now.
Interview:
✧ In one or two sentences, describe the main themes present in your game.
Our game is about loneliness and isolation, as well as the despair of being trapped in a changing and disorienting space. We liked the idea of a character seeking a fresh start and instead being lured into a trap. The town, an indifferent force of nature, uses this vulnerability as a weapon.
✧ What were some of your most memorable moments from making this game? What did you learn from those moments?
Early on, the team got together to watch the original 1973 The Wicker Man as inspiration for a slow build psychological horror. Not only was it inspirational in terms of themes, pacing, character motivation, etc. but it was probably the first time we felt really excited about where this game could go.
✧ Talk about your teammates! What was everyone's role?
Claire took the lead on art direction and tech art for the project. She created the visual language of the game, developing the distinctive color palette, and finding the perfect textures and plant assets. In order to implement the style that she envisioned, she wrote custom shaders, designed lighting, and created visual effects seen throughout the game.
Finlay brought the world of Scadbury to life using their expertise in writing and narrative. Focusing on story, worldbuilding, and concept art, they provided both behind-the-scenes and in-game writing that this game relied on. Also, thanks to their impeccable organization skills, they were able to take on the role of producing in the final stretches.
George and Selah were the programming powerhouses of the team. George designed and implemented many of the systems that went into our game including the portals, as well as custom tools that sped up our workflow such as an address-assignment system. He supported the development of the bike controller and design of the town and buildings. He also served as the producer for the first crucial months of the game’s development.
Selah built out many of the core features of the game including the bike movement and controls, as well as walking and camera settings, the interaction system, player inventory, and package delivery. She made sure those systems worked well together and felt natural and intuitive for the player to interact with. She also handled the stellar sound design for the bike.
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