In the first week, after deciding on the game I wanted to make, I began looking for examples to use as references and learn from.
1.Schistosomiasis
These are the references I found for my custom script. My game’s theme is parasitism, which brings to mind many concepts such as blood, organs, worms and bacteria. Combining these ideas, I settled on Schistosoma japonicum. I then started searching for videos about it.
Schistosomiasis | How does this neglected tropical disease spread?
This parasite can parasitise and reproduce through water. Normally, female Schistosoma japonicum stay paired with males and do not separate.
2.Homicipher
This is a horror otome text puzzle game. The player stumbles into a mysterious space and cannot understand what other characters are saying. They must guess what the characters are saying to find a way to escape. That is the basic premise of the story.
Homicipher | Full Game | Longplay | Walkthrough | Gameplay No Commentary
Due to its unique features, this game appeals greatly to female players, and the fun of its text-based puzzles is fully realised. Its core gameplay loop revolves around guessing dialogue and making choices. If the player guesses correctly, they receive assistance and continue the conversation until the game concludes. A wrong guess triggers a penalty, immediately ending the game, and the player must reload their save to retry the dialogue.
3.chants of sennaar
Its strengths are obvious. The creator designed three sets of symbols for players. After completing the first set and discovering the correct answers, players gain a sense of achievement. They then move on to the second map and work on the second set, repeating this cycle. This keeps the game feeling fresh and intriguing for players.
Chants Of Sennaar: Full Game [100%] (No Commentary Walkthrough)
At the same time, its drawbacks are clear. As a game with high freedom and a calm tone, it has no intense combat or action sequences like action games. Therefore, it mainly appeals to players who enjoy puzzles and slow, quiet gameplay. This also explains why it may not rank highly on Steam.
4.Florence
For this one, we were divided into different groups to explore one of the three given games (our group was assigned Florence) and tried to sense what the author wanted to convey to the readers.
Florence (Full Game, No Commentary)
From some promotional gameplay clips, I pieced together the story: it’s about a girl who goes from living an aimless life to encountering love, and through the blending and friction of emotions, rediscovers what she truly loves. I think what the author wanted to express is exactly the idea of loving your own life. All the negative emotions in it are gray and dim,but when she comes into contact with the things she likes, they become bright again.