Green Reaper
Narrative Designer/User Researcher - 3D Action Game
Team Slippers (23 people) - 4 months
1st Place - 2023 PACE Bellwether Gaming Competition
Finalist - Game of the Year (Console/PC), 2023 Rookie Awards
Team Slippers (23 people) - 4 months
1st Place - 2023 PACE Bellwether Gaming Competition
Finalist - Game of the Year (Console/PC), 2023 Rookie Awards
When the Slippers team approached me to develop the story for Green Reaper, I was frankly ecstatic – everything I’d seen of the prototype, its gorgeous garden visuals and ecological warfare gameplay, was suffused with strong themes which gave me plenty to work with. Using the established setting and gameplay progression as a scaffold, I worked to shape an arc and characterization which would mirror and motivate player action. In fleshing out stakes and character dynamics, getting players invested in this literally little conflict, I sought to play around with scale just as much as the gameplay did – this greenhouse is these characters’ whole world, a fungal infestation can be an apocalyptic invasion to those who love it and live in it, an ancient goddess can be saved by the smallest of her creations. Just as enthusiastically as I accepted the team’s offer, they listened to my ideas and worked with me to develop and implement this vision of a small-scale epic adventure. Coming onto the team, I worked on:
- Developing the mentor character Antheia and the antagonistic mushrooms, and their dynamics with each other and the player
- Writing and implementing 26 flavor texts, both set and randomizable, for checkpoints, loading screens, death screens, etc.
- Consulting with level design to match the arc and pacing of gameplay and story, and naming the 9 main areas
- Consulting with the art team on character design, animation, and cinematics for story clarity and characterization
- Participating in discussions to alter, streamline, and improve gameplay
- Running 16 total playtests of game prototypes, and reporting on user feedback to guide development efforts
All in all, I did as much as I could with the time and resources available, and considering I was brought onto the team halfway through development, I believe we did well in bringing story to the greenhouse. If we’d had more time with the project, I’d have liked to work more with the gameplay designers to further the connection and depth of game and story – many well-liked ideas and features, such as bee companion Aristaeus and final boss Ocreata, had to be cut for scope, and with them their contributions to the story. That said, I enjoyed my time in the greenhouse, with the team and the characters we created together.
Content Warning: Fantasy violence
Logo by Leo Li