This week’s lesson on how to set up Design Pillars got me to re-evaluate my game’s core. I foundation my work with Three Pillars: Gentle Exploration, Fleeting Bloom and Ordinary Beauty.
The players can move at leisurely paces in dream-like spaces. They are free from enemies and pressure and can simply observe and discover.
“Fleeting Bloom” means the moments of a flower opening and fading out of a sound.
Players are reminded through “Ordinary Beauty” that poetry also lies in the little moments of life.
While designing, I found that every mechanic in games is an emotional extension. It is important that a mechanic reflect emotions; otherwise, it would feel empty. After studying this week, I have begun to see that my game is not just about “walking” but how to look, feel and understand the significance of the ordinary.