Solitude
Developed as a vertical slice project for the Game Design 2 course within the Game Development and Learning Technology program at SDU.
Tech Stack
About the Game
Solitude follows the sibling dynamic between an older brother, Arthur, and his little brother, Max. While playing in their backyard, Arthur accidentally kicks their ball into the neighbor's property. When Max goes to fetch it and vanishes, Arthur crawls through the hedge on a rescue mission. Driven by childhood guilt and fear, his imagination transforms the ordinary neighborhood layout into a dyster fantasy world where hedge rows become massive labyrinths patrolled by hostile tree spirits.
Mechanics & Combat
To reflect the psychological weight of Arthur's fear, the game features a motor-challenging movement and combat system inspired by Dark Souls. Actions are bound to a strict stamina pool, forcing players to manage their energy tightly while sprinting, jumping, attacking, and utilizing a dodge-roll equipped with temporary invincibility frames.
Narrative Architecture
The overarching structure strictly aligns with Joseph Campbell's 'Hero's Journey' and the classic 'Home-Away-Home' model. To convey inner thoughts naturally without breaking immersion, Arthur communicates with his childhood teddy bear, Teddy. Teddy acts as a voice of reason, guiding the player across path choices and addressing the narrative's psychological themes.
Voxel Aesthetic
The project uses a stylized 3D voxel art identity built block-by-block using MagicaVoxel. The proportions and multi-toned color depth are inspired by Minecraft. This clean, low-fidelity style creates a balanced and harmonious environment that keeps the player focused on narrative exploration, characters, and upgrade items rather than overwhelming detail.
Iterative Development
The project advanced through continuous iterative loops. Due to distance-learning conditions, user research was adapted to digital playtests over Zoom, evaluating player feedback from initial Twine prototypes to full builds. These insights helped balance late-game difficulty spikes by integrating upgradeable toys that permanently enhance Arthur's baseline attributes.
