For this project I wanted to base it around something personal to me. I began listing some of my hobbies, interests, fears and mental health issues I have personally dealt with in the past.

I idea I liked the most was basing my game around anxiety as this resonates with me the most today. I also circles two of my fears which links into anxiety. I circled being alone and public speaking. These fears could be involved in the game.

Expanding on the idea of Anxiety, I created another map to expand on my ideas. In week 1 we completed a metaphor workshop and thought I could make a metaphorical game world. I had the idea of making an underwater themed world as I love swimming in the sea.

From the underwater theme I then began listing metaphors that link to both being underwater and anxiety. Out of all these metaphors my favourite was “I feel like I’m drowning”. This is the metaphor I’ll be using towards my game concept.

I also knew I wanted to make an adventure-puzzler game but at this stage I still need to look into games and art styles to progress.

Before looking into other games I listed some mechanics I might like to include, however as I explore these ideas may change.

Ideas I may use:

• Anxiety meter- when the meter gets too high it results in a panic attack. This could cause the player to complete more puzzles.
• Narrative choices- this game could be narrative driven.
• Puzzle solving- Puzzles you have to complete to move forward.
• Changing environment- As the player progresses the environment changes to show better mental state.
• First-person

Creating an anxious environment:

To move forward with how the environment will look I began making notes of what I want the player to feel like; claustrophobic, unsettled, isolated, and pressured.

I kept in mind what the aesthetic would be like for this game along with other components such as audio and whether I want the player to be alone.

Another note I made looking at emotional themes was grief. In order to create the game idea I need to have a backstory for the character.

Character backstory ideas:

To gain rough ideas of what the characters backstory could be I listed different reasons enough to trigger someone with anxiety.
I chose to go with the character knows someone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. This sends the character into a massive spiral.

Next steps:

• Rough idea for the character- looks, movement and expression.
• Look into different medias (games, films, books) for inspiration with mechanics and visual style.
• Anxiety research- this could help me figure out mechanics.
• 5 stages of grief research- since the character faces bad news of a family member being diagnosed with a terminal illness they could begin to go through the different stages of grief. This could link in with the environment.
• Look at games based around anxiety and their feedback/performance.
• What do I aim to make? Why?

Games based of anxiety:

Celeste – This platformer follows a young woman climbing a mountain, reflecting themes of personal struggle, mental health, and anxiety. The gameplay itself can be challenging, symbolizing overcoming obstacles.

Hell blade: Senua’s Sacrifice – This action-adventure game delves deep into mental health issues, particularly psychosis and anxiety, presenting a poignant narrative and immersive experience.

Night in the Woods – This story-driven adventure focuses on mental health, depression, and anxiety, featuring relatable characters and situations that explore these themes in a thoughtful way.

Inside – While more abstract, this atmospheric puzzle platformer can evoke feelings of anxiety through its oppressive environment and tense gameplay.

 The Cat Lady – A psychological horror game that explores themes of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, offering a deeply narrative experience.

Fran Bow – This point-and-click adventure game tells the story of a young girl dealing with trauma and anxiety, with a surreal and sometimes disturbing narrative.

Fran Bow:

• Psychological themes- explores deep emotional issues, including fear, anxiety, and the impact of trauma on mental health
• Atmospheric game play- includes surreal, dark visuals that creates an immersive experience
• Coping Mechanisms- ran encounters various challenges and must use her wits to navigate her environment, akin to developing coping strategies in stressful situations
• Narrative choices- Players make choices that can influence the story, similar to how different responses can affect public speaking outcomes

The Cat Lady:

• Mental Health focus- The game centers on the protagonist, Susan, who deals with severe depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. It explores her psychological journey in an impactful way
• Atmospheric story-telling- The dark, unsettling visuals and narrative create an immersive environment that reflects the protagonist’s mental state, evoking feelings of anxiety and discomfort
• Coping mechanisms- Throughout the game, Susan navigates various challenges and confronts her fears, much like developing strategies to cope with anxiety
• Symbolism- Each game uses symbolism to reflect the protagonists’ emotional states, such as the anxiety mechanics in “Voices in the Crowd” and the cats in “The Cat Lady” representing companionship and comfort

Night in the woods:

• Mental health themes- Both games address psychological issues—”Night in the Woods” delves into depression, anxiety, and existential crises, while “Voices in the Crowd” focuses on the anxiety of public speaking
• Character-driven narrative- Both games feature rich character development and storytelling, emphasizing the protagonists’ relationships and emotional growth
• Exploration of community- Each game highlights the importance of community and social interactions, showcasing how these can impact mental well-being

Hell Blade:

• Mental health exploration- Both games delve into the complexities of mental health—Hellblade focuses on psychosis and trauma, while Voices in the Crowd addresses anxiety related to public speaking
• Emotional Journal- Both games offer a deep emotional experience, inviting players to understand and empathize with the protagonist’s struggles
• Symbolism and imagery- Each game uses symbolic elements to represent the protagonist’s internal conflicts. In Hellblade, the voices and visions represent Senua’s mental state, similar to how anxiety is depicted in Voices in the Crowd

Celeste:

• Mental health themes- Both games explore anxiety and emotional struggles. Celeste specifically addresses issues like anxiety and self-doubt through its narrative and gameplay, while “Voices in the Crowd” focuses on the anxiety of public speaking
• Character growth- Both feature protagonists on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, tackling their fears and insecurities along the way
• Symbolism- The mountain in Celeste serves as a metaphor for overcoming challenges, similar to how public speaking in “Voices in the Crowd” represents a personal hurdle

Game Ideas so far:

So far these are my ideas for my game…

Backstory- The characters mother recently gets told she is terminally ill, causing the characters anxiety to heighten.

Themes- Anxiety and grief

Aesthetic- Underwater, dark colour pallet to start and gradually becomes brighter representing a better mental state. In rooms rather than open water to feel more claustrophobic.

Genre:

• Adventure puzzler
• First person

This is before researching other media so my ideas may change along the way.

Inspiring Media’s will be linked below:

Games research

Films research

Books research

Artist research

After completing my research I made this mind map to show what inspires me about each game I looked at.
Most of my inspiration comes from Gris when it comes to mechanics based around the environment however there are other parts of the other games I will use too.

I love Yannick Pignots’ character design in the game Child of Light and will use this to inspire me.

Hollow Knight also has a very inspiring aesthetic. In most scenes the colours are very dark however in some they are more vibrant.

Character profiling:

Using my anxiety research from previously I want my character to be an 18 year old girl. This is because 18-24 is the age range that has the highest percentage of anxiety and I want it to be a girl as that resonates with me the most.

Anxiety research will be linked below:

Anxiety Research

Once I had finalised my research I made a list to show what my game is specifically inspired by.