A Midsummer Night’s Cat
Abstract
Mushrooms, dancing fairies, and a cat.
A light puzzle game inspired by classic fairy tales and Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, combining mechanics shaped by fairy ring folklore and a storybook-style narrative experience.
Project:
My name is Songrui Li, and I am in charge of developing the indie game: A Midsummer Night’s Cat (working title), including art, narrative, and programming.
Genre:
- 2D
- Fairy-tale Style
- Light Puzzle Solving
- Felt Fabric Visual Style
- Fantasy Narrative Adventure
- Casual and Relaxing
- Cute Characters
Goals:
- Project Goal:
- This project aims to create a lighthearted fantasy game centered on a fairy-tale narrative and a protagonist with a strong sense of self. Through simple gameplay interactions, provides players with positive feedback and satisfaction. The story emphasizes the pure virtues of fairy tales, celebrating self-identity and perseverance, and encourages players to pursue self-determination.
- Personal Goal:
- In my second-year team project, I further learned Unity and explored its plugin Fungus. Developing with Fungus allowed me to enjoy the process of making games and to feel the satisfaction of seeing them fully functional. Thus, my primary goal for this project is to deepen my understanding of Unity and Fungus and to expand my skills in game mechanics and level design.
- In terms of narrative, I chose a tone different from my previous projects, such as #19-09-26, which was based on depression and the oppressive aspects of Chinese education, or Memories of a Misty Seashore, which explored crime born from childhood trauma (both development journals are available at: Year 2). I aim to tell a simpler, more uplifting story that shares the same aim: learning to reconcile with pain, while also reflecting, in a sense, the evolution of my own mental state over recent years.
Hook & Anchor:
Once upon a midsummer night, a cat dreamed of freedom…
A Midsummer Night’s Cat feels like a storybook version of Rusty Lake, and also like the last quiet moments in Outer Wilds, sitting by a campfire at night, playing music and roasting marshmallows. Compared to Rusty Lake, the puzzles rely less on imagination, and the story is more peaceful than the grandeur of Outer Wilds.
The Appeal:
Become a little cat and try to escape the fairy queen Titania’s forest in search of freedom. Explore a dreamlike fairy kingdom adventure through a cozy, felt fabric visual style.
The trailer begins with the phrase “A long, long time ago…”, opening on a wide view of the forest. The camera gradually zooms in, stopping on a little cat sleeping among the mushrooms. And then cuts to in-game footage, revealing a short glimpse of the level, and ends on the game’s title: A Midsummer Night’s Cat.
Inspirations:
During my research phase, I introduced a wide range of inspirations. Further details can be found here:
More Information:
- For more research and reflection details, please check the section: Home Page – Semester 1 Design Appendix
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