The Quiet Current

2024
Physical Location - Gulbenkian Gardens, Lisbon, Portugal
Made as part of the 'Experimental Play Lab' module

The Quiet Current might not fall in the traditional category of a game. It was created as an autobiographical reflection by my teammate, Aghababa Baghirov, an artist and designer from Azerbaijan, based on his personal experiences growing up with war. My work as a level designer was to translate the emotions evoked through words into those that can be evoked through space. I worked closely with him to not only design the mechanics but also engage the player by creating a playful space for them.

I used a real map (shown below) with landmarks to guide the player. Each chapter in the game's story is related to a landmark and requires the player to carefully observe and take note of their surroundings in order to find a key, which leads them to the next section of the story. While similar to a 'Treasure Hunt' mechanic, I had to take care that the core emotion of the story doesn't get diluted through overtly complex systems. The final version of the level lacked nuance in its puzzle design and had space for further experimentation, but overall it managed to evoke a profound feeling in playtesters.