Embedded Files
Untitled Speed Dating is a dating simulator with a twist- your possible conversation topics are flying around the screen, and you only have a few seconds to pick one. Your goal is to increase your Affection points with a series of unusual characters by choosing topics and responses they like in the hopes of getting a second date.
My Roles
My Roles
Game Designer
Created mechanics along with other designers
Made changes to game based on playtesting data
Writer
Edited scripts written by the narrative designer
Wrote character script (Ashley)
Re-wrote character script based on playtest feedback (Crustella)
Main Programmer
Designed game system
Scripted in Godot 4.3
Implemented assets and dialogue
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My Responsibilities
My Responsibilities
Design a game with replayability and high energy
Use technology to create the experience designed by the narrative, art and game designers in a way that works consistently
Help the narrative designer convey the story of the game
Design Process
Design Process
Planning
Planning
We started with a general gameplay loop- start a date, pick a topic, respond to the topic, then repeat. After that, we looked for a way to simulate a fast-paced conversation in gameplay using week-long 'Sprints' to develop our ideas.
After our initial idea of timed visual novel-esque dialogue choices didn't work, we landed on moving topic bubbles inspired by games like DanganRonpa. This added a kinetic element to the gameplay, which felt exciting rather than the stress that resulted from the timed dialogue interactions. It also punctuated the long sections of dialogue.
Sprints/Brainstorming
Sprints/Brainstorming
Challenges
Challenges
Pivoting to a new idea
Pivoting to a new idea
The main challenge our team faced for this project was that we decided to completely change our main mechanic near the end of pre-production. We tested the idea of dialogue options with a time limit, but even after multiple adjustments the team was not happy with how the game played. Changing the mechanic was stressful in the short-term, but in the long run it allowed us to create a better overall game.
This choice also extended our planning time and meant we were immediately behind schedule when production began. We had to work around this by cutting our scope to only what was core to the experience, as well as working faster than we had originally anticipated.
Transferable Skills
Transferable Skills
Writing a modular story with sections that can occur in any order
Pivoting to a new idea when a previous one isn’t working
Designing a system to be easily scalable
Designing gameplay without relying on genre conventions
Adjusting scope based on project priorities
Quickly ideating and developing mechanics
Adjusting mechanics, dialogue, and tuning values based on playtest data
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