Initially I rendered all the garments in cool tones, but upon completion I found it rather difficult to distinguish between the outer and inner layers, and the overall effect appeared too sombre. Consequently, I changed the lining to warm colours.

I’ve also devised a few in-game levels. The mechanics in this draft draw inspiration from Minesweeper, where players must navigate to a safe zone while avoiding “landmines”—stepping on one will teleport them back to the starting point. With each step taken, an NPC will inform the player of the number of mines within an eight-square grid centred on their position.

Rather than a puzzle, this is an interactive scenario. All the player needs to do is connect the wires. This interaction serves as a bridge, providing the opportunity for players to enter the secret room.

I designed two sets of UI: one for interacting with NPCs outside the escape room, and another for use during the escape itself. The primary change involves relocating the inventory to a more ergonomic position for easier operation.

“STRINGLIGHT”

These are the codes I intend to use for the escape room. I also asked friends whether encountering these in-game might prove too challenging (the chat logs are in Chinese and inconvenient to display). Their feedback led me to abandon placing key clues within the background audio. I’ve also added some puzzles that don’t require decoding, such as arranging objects into specific shapes to unlock mechanisms.

I’ve used the game Gogh to roughly construct the layout of the escape room.

(The rough scene setup is intended to facilitate the insertion of corresponding puzzles when writing the game flow.)

Special note: The game I am developing is a 2D title; the 3D scenes are used solely for illustrative purposes and as an aid to artwork creation.

I’ve drafted a rough outline of the plot.↓

You arrived at this school. With the war progressing, there weren’t many new students like you left.

However, you didn’t receive a warm welcome from the senior students; everyone was preparing for the “Campus War.” You didn’t know what that was—the term came from overhearing your classmates’ conversations.

You decided to familiarize yourself with the campus first.

【Leave the classroom. Inventory initially contains a marker.】

While wandering around the campus, you noticed a weathered bulletin board.

【Interact with the bulletin board. Remove the top paper to find an announcement about the Campus War.】

:“Eliminate those incapable of surviving here. Secure more resources and a better environment for yourself! Prove yourself in the war!” ————theschool

【Remove the Campus War announcement.】

:“War is coming. Sending children to a national school completely isolated from the external war is your best choice!” ————theschool

You remembered why you were here. You were left homeless after enemy bombings and were rescued. Those who brought you here told you the war wouldn’t harm you—but now, what exactly was this “Campus War”?

You continued to wander the campus, your mind full of thoughts about the Campus War. From the way classmates talked and the word “eliminate” on the notice, you vaguely sensed that someone might die. Unconsciously, you arrived at a room. The building looked very old; looking around, it wasn’t far from the teaching building. When theschool was still a normal school, this must have been the auditorium. You thought that if there really was a Campus War, this place could serve as a hiding spot, so you went inside.

Just as you expected, this was the old auditorium, though now there was no sign of student activities. Dust covered the seats, and plants had even grown among them. Branches from trees outside reached in through broken windows. The stage at the front showed signs of damage and repairs… and on it appeared to be later-constructed steel frames and unidentified machinery?

【The auditorium is filled with heavy dust; in the visuals, particles should be suspended in the air. Background audio includes faint but noticeable radio static, electric hums, and mechanical noises.】

You noticed a small plaque on the wall by the door frame, partially covered with dust. Wiping it with your finger, you saw the words “Backstage Machina.”

So this place already had an owner?

Before you could continue observing, the stage “came alive.” A massive mechanical arm grabbed you, lifting you into mid-air above the stage.

:“Unauthorized personnel detected. Intruder identified.”

You saw a mechanical head tied to the center of the stage curtain rod. It looked more like a crude screen than a head, with a low-resolution monochrome LED capable only of displaying simple emoticons. Extending from the “head” were two strands of colorful String Lights wrapped around rods.

:“String Lights, terminate program.”

You were released. You were so frightened that your legs went weak upon touching the ground, and as you were fully let go, you stumbled backward, almost falling off the stage.

:“Sorry, the Campus War is about to begin. The String Lights are in defensive mode. Backstage Machina is currently not open for visits. Please go back.”

【1: Go back and die in the Campus War

2: Ask, “What exactly is the Campus War? Who are you?”】

Her eyes flashed with shock. “This damn place is still accepting students…?” you overheard her muttering softly.

:“Alright, come over here first. But be careful. Even though the String Lights let you down, I can’t be sure whether the program buried under the floor is still active.”

【Introduce the first puzzle】

:“You are now in a teleportation grid. If you trigger a ‘bomb,’ you will be sent back to the starting point. Step on a safe spot, and I will tell you a number representing how many bombs are in the 3×3 grid centered on you.”

(Can mark the floor with a marker; marks remain even if sent back.)

:“Not bad. During the Campus War, you should stay here for now. We also need someone to help with the tasks. You probably won’t survive alone in the chaos. My name is Bella.”

【You are taken to a dusty storage room.】

:“The backup circuit is malfunctioning; some wires are old and broken. Fix them, and be careful.”

【Receive a screwdriver and electrical tape.】

【Interact: remove the panel cover, connect wires.】

After completing the task Bella assigned, you stood up and found she was gone. You called her name twice, but there was no answer.

You decided to move on. Due to the dimness of the storage room, you couldn’t tell where you were heading and entered a deeper room.

This room had no lighting and was pitch dark. While trying to leave, you tripped over something in the corner, fell onto a pile of debris, and blocked the door. Now you were trapped in this dark room.

The following puzzles are only placeholder forms; details are not yet finalized:

【Facing the wall with the door; the screen is completely black, only the light switch glows in the dark.】

Turning on the light allows you to switch perspectives (similar to Rusty Lake), sliding left or right to move along the x-axis.

The room contains small compartments, some locked with 4-digit codes.

{Find scattered paper scraps to obtain the small box code, open it to get a key}

{Use the key to deactivate the anti-tamper alarm, press a button, the broadcast outputs Morse code (use the whiteboard for reference), get numbers, use the numbers on the bookshelf code box to get a disc}

{Insert the disc into the TV, which plays Polar Day and Polar Night recordings; record gestures sequentially to obtain the compartment code}

{Enter the compartment, open the cabinet to get a USB drive, insert into computer requiring a password}

{Using stationery on the desk and previously obtained marker, arrange a dotted outline of a gun on one side of a notebook; the pencil will float automatically and write the USB password on the other side}

Inside the USB drive is a diary of Polar Night (self-narrative, describing her relationship with Polar Day before coming to school and events leading to Polar Day’s death). The diary pages already exist as storylines but are not formatted yet.

{Each diary page footer contains a symbol. Combined with the sentence on desk papers, “I ultimately found the solution in the reverse of the reverse, but the process is by no means useless,” players can find linked inverted characters.}

After removing the USB, the computer automatically ejects a memory card. Using the footer characters, players determine that it needs to be viewed through the String Lights.

{From the desk paper stack, take papers and tape them to the clue board outside the compartment, revealing the internal diagram of the String Lights (the display on Polar Night’s desk shows paper colors and relative positions).}

Easter Eggs:

{Room lighting flickers, cycling binary code “YOU AND ME FOREVER”}

{Under the whiteboard paper pile, find original Freemason cipher characters; encoded text appears in the lower cabinet code. Players need to enter the original text “I WILL COME BACK” to find a real gun shaped like the one arranged earlier in the notebook.}

After completing all puzzles, Bella appears at the door with another person.

Bella: “Sorry, I was busy and didn’t realize you were trapped here.”

(Other person): “Looks like you’ve learned some things even we didn’t know. Come out first, then we can discuss what you found inside.”

【Player choice—only one option: “Can I see the String Lights?”】

(Other person): “Why?”

【Player choice: show the memory card brought from the compartment: “It should be needed for the String Lights.”】

Insert the memory card into the String Lights, obtaining the projector; play segment 1 (Polar Day and Polar Night together created the String Lights), segment 2 (After Polar Day’s death, Polar Night attempts to train a language AI to replicate Polar Day, modifies the String Lights into a combat machine for revival, and finally integrates the String Lights into the stage).

Segment 3 (Polar Night addresses the camera, telling Bella and Belilo she will work for the school for a period, instructing them to maintain this place, and finally says, “If you see this, I believe you have the ability to create new stories here.”)

After the screening ends, Bella and Belilo are silent for a moment, then say: “Thank you for letting us know this. From now on, we’re friends. Even if you don’t join us, if you have difficulties, tell us anytime, we’ll come to help.” (Belilo removes her mask after the screening ends.)

You safely survived the Campus War. At the end, you say goodbye to Bella and Belilo. After leaving, you take a Backstage Machina business card from your pocket. Game over.

Tutorial

1. Puzzle Mind Map

2. Explain rationale for puzzle-solving gameplay

3. Supplement game background and inspiration sources (already supplemented in week 3 presentation)

4. Explain rationale for anime/manga art style

5. Add individual character profiles and backstories

6. Explain character costumes (already supplemented in week 6 presentation)

7. Analyse the game’s stylistic approach and distinctions from similar titles

8. Define the purpose of puzzles within the game

9. Research escape rooms and point-and-click games, incorporating key pillars

10. Present character design concepts (e.g., silhouettes, monochrome, to be documented in GDD)

11. Include three-view character models and facial expressions

12. Complete scene and UI designs

These are the areas for improvement I have extracted from the feedback received.↑