• How has your design practice evolved this semester?
This semester, my design practice shifted from starting with “big ideas” to building clearer constraints and testing what is actually feasible. I learned to translate an emotional theme (loneliness and being misunderstood) into concrete design choices, especially mechanics-as-narrative and minimal presentation. I also became more aware that a strong concept is not enough unless I document decisions consistently and make them testable.
• What would you do differently next time?
I would manage my time more deliberately and treat the GDD as a weekly tool rather than an end-of-term document. My biggest issue was inconsistent updates: I often developed ideas in my head or in scattered notes but didn’t convert them into weekly GDD changes, which made progress feel less structured and increased last-minute pressure. Next time, I would set a fixed weekly deadline, break tasks into smaller deliverables (one section per week), and do short, regular check-ins instead of waiting for “perfect” clarity before writing.
• Where do you want to take your game forward?
I want to turn the current concept into a small, playable vertical slice that proves the core emotional arc through mechanics: moving from vigilance, to boundaries, to expression. The next step is to prototype the key interactions (energy drain proximity, barrier, and music-based transformation) and test whether they communicate the intended feeling without dialogue or UI. From there, I would expand the world structure in a Metroidvania-friendly way, while keeping the scope tight and the art/audio principles consistent.
• Did you collect feedback from your peers?
Yes, I received peer feedback during discussions and presentations, especially around clarity of the core experience and how to communicate the theme without text.
The feedback helped me simplify my pitch, strengthen my pillars, and make my target audience and platform choice more grounded.
However, I could have collected feedback more systematically (e.g., short playtests or structured questions), and I want to do that earlier next time to avoid relying on late-stage opinions.
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