Errant

📚Lesson: Putting the Story in the Inventory

We wanted to make sure the story would unfold somewhere the player would check frequently. The solution we found was to let the game's story play out inside of a letter that doubled as the player's inventory.

Whenever the player character picks up a lost memory in the game world or trades one with the Fey, that memory alters the contents of a letter.

Each memory corresponds both to a section of the letter, and a traversal ability matching the tone of the memory. For instance, a memory about being deceived lets players interact with the different layers of the Rubin Vase level prototyped below.

Level Prototypes

We ultimately decided to make 2D platformer, but wanted to keep the theme of navigating through changing perceptions. In our early prototypes, this lead us to crafting levels based on optical illusions like the Rubin Vase. 

🏆Triumph: Multiple Endings

Once the player collects enough memories to fully populate all four paragraphs of the letter, it becomes clear that the letter they carry is from a past lover. With their letter complete, they can leave the Fey's lair and end the game. At the exit, the Fey gives the player one last chance to change which parts of the player character's past to hold on to.

Once the player exits the game, they are presented with an ending screen which displays the entire letter based on their choices in the game. Since each of the four paragraph has two versions, there are 30 different reconstructions of the player character's past relationship that players can exit with. These range from surface level attraction to confused indecision to tragic romance.