Having done the research and visual experiments, I decided to explore how some of the main subjects I’ve worked with can be used for interaction. Instead of choosing only one direction, I developed three initial game concepts to analyse the potential of each. During this period, I was mostly interested in the following areas: Art / Visual storytelling / Interaction / Discovery / Transforming the imagery.
Concept 1 – Paintings Restoration
Working title: Under the Surface
The first concept is a game about restoring old or damaged paintings. The player would explore such artworks and restore different parts of them. What caught my attention most about this concept is the possibility of using the actual artwork in gameplay, rather than only its visual language, and the pleasure of seeing how the ruined artwork transforms into its completed version.
Initial actions: Examine -> Clean -> Repair -> Reveal -> Discover
Concept 2 – Fragmented Memories
The second concept is a narrative puzzle game based on fragmented memories. The player would discover incomplete photographs and then have to put them back together to reconstruct them. With each photograph completed, the player would discover its history. This concept resulted from my interest in fragmentation, collage techniques, and visual storytelling, which were inspired by the work of Hannah Höch.
Initial actions: Discover -> Examine -> Rearrange -> Reconstruct -> Reveal
Concept 3 – Living Gallery
The third concept is an exploration game set in a surrealistic gallery, where paintings transform around the player. The player would explore different galleries, interact with objects, and find visual clues. I found the concept of creating an interactive space within a gallery interesting, as well as the possibility of engaging with paintings and other objects.
Initial actions: Explore -> Observe -> Interact -> Solve -> Discover
Comparing My Ideas
After creating all those concepts, I analysed them in terms of their gameplay potential, their relation to the research, and the opportunities for experimentation.
Chosen Direction
After comparing all my ideas, I chose the paintings restoration concept to work on further. It had the strongest connection to my growing interest in physical artwork, as well as the opportunity to test an interactive mechanic. It also allows me to experiment with paintings physically.
Having an interesting discussion in this audio clip^
This section contains an audio review^