This is a character design from a group activity.
Shape: triangle
Colour: Brown, white
Narrative:
The prototype for this character was a floor clock from a medieval royal palace. After the dynasty’s downfall, the clock was abandoned in a ruined castle. Infused with resentment, the clock transformed into human form. But she lost her memory, often trapped by fragmented recollections. All she remembered was his desire to return to the time when she still shone brightly. Though she was a master of time itself, she found herself bound by its very nature. Turning the gears at her waist could only alter others’ timelines-she herself was forever trapped in the present moment, confined within these castle walls. She hated that she couldn’t change her own time, so whenever anyone entered this castle, she would turn their time into their most agonising period, whether past or future. She wanted everyone to live in eternal torment, just as she did.
For shape, we chose the triangle as the dominant visual language. Triangular forms often suggest sharpness, instability and threat. This directly reflects the character’s inner resentment and hostility towards others. The pointed silhouette also helps communicate danger and emotional tension at a glance, even if the character is reduced to a simple silhouette, aligning with the emphasis on readability discussed in the lecture.
Our colour palette is mainly brown and white. Brown references age, decay and history, connecting the character to the ruined medieval castle and her origin as a floor clock. White, in contrast, represents her former purity and the time when she “shone brightly.” The muted and limited palette avoids visual noise, supporting the idea of a character trapped in stagnation rather than growth. The lack of vibrant colours reinforces her emotional exhaustion and inability to move forward.
Critical Reflective Questions
Who is the player in your game?
The player represents an individual navigating everyday loneliness and social misalignment. It is closely informed by the lived experiences of highly sensitive individuals and individuals on the autism spectrum, for whom loneliness often arises from misunderstanding, sensory overload, or difficulty synchronising with social environments. The target players of this game will be emotion-driven, narrative-focused players. It will be a short but unique indie game which attract small group of game enthusiasts.
How does character visual design reinforce agency?
Inspired by the minimalist abstraction in Jordan Magnuson’s Loneliness, the player character is visually simplified, avoiding expressive facial features or detailed social markers.
What symbolic or thematic roles do your characters play？
The player character I designed represents everyone who has experienced loneliness, been labelled, or felt misunderstood and reduced to a flat stereotype in their daily lives. Throughout the game’s main narrative, the player character will discover the innate abilities they already possess through repeated setbacks, ultimately embracing themselves and growing.
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