Exploring themes of having blind faith in fate, generational trauma, timeless, family pressure, decisions, society, and responsibility.
Main story I thought of for the game :
A fate that goes back to ancient times and still commands people to this day to follow the rules or pay the price.
- For generations, a story has been passed down to future descendants as a tradition.
- The story: There was once a humble farmer (the ancestor of this family) who was kind to those in need, with a loving wife and devoted to the gods. He lived a good life and believed he was blessed by luck and fortune, until he realised how helpless he became when he wasn’t able to save his wife. His wife, who was in labour, couldn’t withstand the pain and illness, ultimately dying. Though his children survived, he mourned his wife for years, blaming his inability to save her, so he prayed to the gods, asking for a way to change his fate to help others in need so they don’t relive the same pain. The god of fate answered, hearing his cries, and decided to bless the famous devotee, giving him a gift. The ability was to be able to change the fate of others. While this is what he asked for, the god of fate warned him that because he was a human and not a deity, each time this ability was used, it would shorten the lifespan of the user drastically. The kind farmer thanked god and went on to save many lives, but lived a quicker life doing so. He later passed down this ability to his children so they could help others in need.
- In the present day, the family is famous as heroes; the MC is next in line to become a hero. However, this fate isn’t as favourable to the family as it is to others. While it may seem good and helpful, it’s also extremely painful for the family members and can result in death.
- The family descendants are told to become these heroes without question because it’s so righteous and helpful.
- The upcoming heir (the mc) is one of these decedents and is told to become the next self-sacrificing hero, but he finds it all ridiculous; he doesn’t understand why he should do it, why give his life away just because of expectations from others. He questions his family and his fate. This is mainly because the MC witnesses a sibling die an excruciating death because of the pressure and ability of power.
- He believed it was unfair and that he would no longer be a hero; this angered other members of the family because it was seen as an act of selfishness.
- Angered and determined to do the impossible, he tries to seek out the god of fate to change the blessing.
I thought it would be interesting if there could be a plot twist by the end of the story, so I thought of some ideas:
Possibilities of the “blessing”
- possibility: The family’s fate is seen as a ‘blessing’, but was actually a curse to those in the family after their ancestor offended the god of fate, belittling their powers. However, because of his hubris, he lied about the curse and made it seem like a blessing in disguise, trying to change the overall fate of the story. The god of fate, hearing this, laughed at his righteousness and lack of honesty, cursing him again into a self-sacrificing hero.
- possibility: The ancestor was favoured by the Greek gods because of their charisma, but after being treated as an equal to those around them, he became egotistical, and his hubris led him to be punished by a god for believing he could change his destiny and become equals. ( Inspired by Lucifer, the fallen angel)
What inspired this game idea :
The concept stems from real-life pressures in some families and the emotional impact of generational trauma, particularly in Asian households, where children are sometimes taught to choose jobs that are regarded as prestigious or successful. This concept was partly motivated by my personal observations of family and cultural expectations, such as the pressure to pursue high-earning careers. Therefore, I wanted the game to depict how family pressures and decisions impact someone’s life, and the main goal is to break the cycle.
Reflection:
The game concept placed 1st in the survey, and the concept explored what it’s like to inherit a predetermined fate or path that you didn’t choose. I wanted the story to depict pressure from family and society. To discuss modern themes such as choices, life pressure, ethical problems, responsibility, and the struggle between pursuing your own goals and achieving those of others. My goal was to challenge people’s thoughts and determination.
The idea was to emphasise the MC’s battle with having a life dictated by others, because it is what others consider successful and noble, and due to pressure and expectations from his family members. I thought that by allowing players to make decisions that influence the in-game character’s path (certain options are constrained by expectations in the beginning). Small acts of resistance within dialogue text will be given to enable players to change their view of fate. This is one of the key features I wanted to implement for the story to show the balance between control and restriction, and by incorporating fate. I can demonstrate the tension between personal decision and external pressure. The game is meant to help people consider the pressures of expectations and the importance of personal choice. I want it to encourage empathy and prompt reflection on how social and familial influences shape people’s lives.
I replayed games like Life is Strange, which include themes of personal choices and I also intend to create a small prototype of the game and have others test it to determine if the plot and options are clear.
I plan to use tools like Twine to map out the story choices and options, so it’s easier for me to think about the overall story. Canva to make moodboards, Ibispaint to create some art prototypes, and a timetable to have a schedule to plan my tasks for the week and to have everything feel organised so I don’t feel overwhelmed. I am currently planning to make at least one basic interactive prototype (Twine) and get feedback on my story to ensure that the choices and options are clear.
To manage my work, I created a simple schedule: One for the in-depth week tasks and one for the coming weeks.
Some feedback questions I got from people when I told them about the story idea :
- Why are they so upset about their fate?
- Why do they want to change their fate?
- How does the sacrificing ability work?
- What is their fate?
- How do they realise their fate?
- Why is it impossible to change?
- What’s their back story?
- Why does everyone else like their fate?
- Changing destiny with someone becoming intertwined with another fate?
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