GDD Research & Existing World Analysis

Before formally commencing world design development, I re-read and analysed the project’s original GDD.

As Soul Keeper originally stemmed from an extension of a previous student project, I felt it was crucial to understand the original narrative direction and world-building structure.

Figure 1. Narrative tone and worldbuilding direction identified during GDD analysis

Whilst reading through the materials, I noticed that the game’s atmosphere places great emphasis on a dream-like quality, gentle exploration, and an ecological sensibility. Compared to traditional fantasy worlds, Soul Keeper leans more towards a natural world that is quiet and gentle, yet imbued with emotional significance.

In addition, a fairly distinct visual language has already been established in the GDD. For instance, different areas feature their own unique flora and fauna, yet the overall colour palette remains consistent, and the narrative text continually emphasises the relationship between nature, protection and emotional connection.

These elements have made me realise that world design is not merely about creating maps or scenes it also requires consideration of the overall interplay between narrative, environment and soundscape.

Figure 2. Existing location structure and ambient sound planning from the original GDD

Whilst reading the section on environmental structure, I also noticed that the original GDD had already begun to map ambient sounds to different areas. For example, the lake, forest path and cliffside all have distinct environmental sound directions.

This subsequently influenced the way I organised my Audio Checklist and sound research, as I began to strive for a more cohesive experience between the environment, animal behaviour and the soundscape.

Based on these analyses, my subsequent development was no longer merely about adding content; rather, whilst maintaining the original tone consistency, I sought to further strengthen the ecological structure, environmental storytelling, and the player’s immersion during exploration.

In the subsequent world design pages, including the design of the ecological loop, player journey and spatial relationships, all were in fact influenced by this GDD analysis.