The primary objective of the first build was to develop a functional vertical slice that demonstrated the core gameplay loop for “Day One” of the experience. This included the integration of key systems such as the player choice mechanics, a streaming-based minigame, and the initial narrative sequence, allowing the intended player experience to be tested in a cohesive, playable format. The focus was not on visual polish, but on validating the interaction between systems and assessing whether the core design concept was engaging and understandable to players.
To support replayability and efficient user-testing, the build was structured to allow the gameplay loop to be repeated without restarting the application. This required the implementation of fundamental interface systems, including a main menu, control screen, and end-of-playtest menu, all with functional and interactive UI elements. This decision reflects an understanding of industry development practices, where usability and rapid iteration are prioritised during early-stage prototyping.
A grey-box development approach was intentionally adopted, allowing for a focus on functionality and system integration rather than finalised visual assets. This has been shown in our Trello list, sorted from top to bottom – most important to least important. This enabled rapid iteration and testing of core mechanics without the constraints of completed art, ensuring that design decisions were driven by player interaction and feedback rather than aesthetic considerations. As a result, the build effectively served as a proof of concept, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed gameplay loop while identifying areas for refinement in subsequent iterations.
Build One Feedback in List Form
| Playtest One | Tutor Review |
|---|---|
| Event: UoS: Science and Engineering Fair Date: 13th March | Event: Tutor Feedback with Adam & Jordan Date: 16th March |
| Likes: – Really likes 3D room, likes moveability in environment and the blob. – 3D modelling is nice. Likes the visuals. Improvements: – Make sure to put teen rating on. – Put multiple ‘W’ in chat dialogue – Inverted movement controls? – Darker red for narration. Red just clashes. – Rotate character movement. – Make the textures look more stylized. – Change view count to (view count) – Make a rules list for stream minigame. – Make it so you can click stuff in the minigame multiple times if u change ur mind and didn’t make an answer before. – In the streaming scene, make it so that chat updates when a message comes out. – Stream morale slider can be dragged when it shouldn’t be. | Likes: – Modular scripting for the minigames, makes it super easy for improvements later on and showcases higher understanding of programming in Unity. Improvements: – Make visual styles more consistent with a shared colour palette maybe. – Person tense is a bit weird in narrative – Maybe have scaling so if you go into a day with negative u have harder minigames or easier if positive – Shortcut for hidden point system for tracking people’s outcomes – Make it clear that your choices have impact – Emotions sprites during narration streams – Upload to itch to gain wider feedback – Movement funky make it so that player controls move based on camera angle |
User testing for the first build was conducted during the University of Southampton: Science and Engineering Fair on the 13th of March, with around 4,000 people in attendance, followed by additional tutor feedback on the 16th of March. This provided both large-scale public interaction and more focused academic critique, allowing for a broad range of insights into player behaviour and system effectiveness. During testing, it became clear that while players responded positively to the visual presentation – particularly the 3D Environment, character design, and overall aesthetic – they experienced confusion when interacting with core gameplay systems.
A key pattern observed was a lack of clarity in player interaction and feedback systems. For example, players struggled with movement due to inverted or inconsistent controls, and the relationship between camera angle and movement direction was not intuitive. Additionally, within the streaming minigame, players were unsure of the rules and how their inputs affected outcomes, indicating that the system lacked clear communication and onboarding. This was reinforced by feedback suggesting the need for visible rules, the ability to revise choices before confirming actions, and more responsive UI elements such as updating chat messages in real time.
Feedback also highlighted issues with visual and narrative consistency. Players and tutors noted that colour choices, such as the narration text, lacked contrast and cohesion, while inconsistencies in art style and tone reduced immersion. Similarly, narrative clarity was impacted by inconsistent tense usage, making the story harder to follow. These issues suggest that while individual components were functional, the overall experience lacked cohesion and polish.
In response to this feedback, several targeted improvements were planned and implemented for the next iteration of builds. These included refining movement controls to align with camera perspective, improving UI responsiveness and clarity within the minigame, and establishing a consistent visual style through a defined colour palette. Additionally, systems were redesigned to better communicate player impact, such as introducing clearer feedback for choices and exploring scalable difficulty based on player performance. This demonstrates a structured iterative process, where observed player behaviour and feedback directly informed design decisions and improvements in the second build. Following these changes, subsequent testing should show increased player understanding of controls and engagement with the minigame, indicating that these adjustments should successfully address initial usability issues.
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