This week was our reflection period after the presentation. The presentation allowed me to gather a good amount of feedback from the students. Some specified that game mechanism aint clear enough and lack playability. They hoped for a more interactive kind of detail, as opposed to abstract emotion.

At first I felt a bit hopeless as I thought that something like reflection would be something that’s just very hard to translate into games. Once I had calmed down, I realized: They were right. The ability to express artistically through a game is not mutually exclusive from gameplay. I began to wonder if I could add some softer interactions to my game, such as watching plants grow, hearing sounds change, or being able to “collect memories” while walking around. All these designs can create a greater sense of participation for the players without influencing the emotional tone.

I also identified my Target Audience this week. Gamers who like experiences that are slow and thoughtful in a similar vein to Journey, Eastshade or Ritual of the Moon. I hope they can find that sense of quiet growth in my game.