-Tina Sees Ghosts-

For our videogame production class we had to present an idea in front of the whole class. So, I decided to recycle another rejected idea for an animation short and readjust it for a videogame. 

It was a nice experience, because I got the opportunity to revisit an old idea that had potential. Just the act of re-estruturing it for a videogame allowed me to see clearly the differences between different media and what it is expected from them. The video game format, allowed me to show more details and depth to the story, that would absolutely disappear if this was a little animated short project. 

I wanted to construct the setting over my home, Galicia. 

I had some summer memories of a class excursion to an almost abandoned village in the mountains... Houses made of rock, nature growing out of every little crack, old sheds collapsed... It was beautiful and sad at the same time. I wanted to recreate it. 

And, of course, galician imaginery was a must. As someone who loves legends and mythology, I wanted to include some creatures from the folklore. 

I knew from the beginning that there were going to be 4 characters. Tina, the little girl, was going to be our main character and a coward, but her mom and grandmother were a little bit more difficult to define. 

I wanted them to be a caring presence in Tina's life, someone she could depend on. But, at the same time, they had to be negligent for the game to work. Tina had to be allowed to explore her surroundings without adult interference, so she would have to confront her fears alone, because fears with friends are less. So, what if this two characters were in  really difficult position and couldn't actually give the support Tina needs at this moment? And I worked witht that until I make it work with the mechanics of the game. 

The fourth character, the neighbour, raised from a necessity of a kind presene in Tina's life at the beginning of the game, and to smooth some gaps in the background due to the personalities af Tina's mom and grandma.  They both were really stubborn, so they needed a intermediary.  

I wanted a investigation and exploration game, where Tina could find hints all over the place if she conquered her fears and advance the story. So, the best narrative structure for the project would be a non-linear structure with five separated story arcs, one for ghost. They all had lived in his grandmother village and died in mysterious circunstances. And when Tina find their names and stories, they would find their way to cross to the afterlife and leave the village. 

This was estructured in a kind of quest system, where you would be rewarded hints about these ghosts if you pass the hidden minigames and solve the puzzles in your room. The player won't be obliged to do them in order, but the end of the quest only will be avaliable if you have all the hints for that ghost. 

Also, the game would have multiple endings depending on the stories you complete during your stay in your grandma's home, since there was a calendary system for a month after which the story invariably ends.