The Journeyman: Devlog Day 1

The Journeyman: Design Notes

Log 01 - 9.23.24

Begging Dev Log on "The Journeyman"

I've decided to start working on a new game and story which, for the moment, I'm calling The Journeyman. I've had this blog on my website for a while now and haven't really found much inspiration as to what to post here, but writing about progress as I work on the game concept, which will be in my free time and for educational and entertainment purposes and that I hope will teach me more about building a game as an independent dev, seems like a great use for the blog.

When I started my first blog I was just entering college and the focus was on reviewing and analyzing movies. That blog lasted a few years and was one of the early ways I taught myself to write and engage with art and narrative with the intent of learning the craft (I'm still active as a screenwriter). Ten years later, it feels fitting to generate content about creating and designing a narrative rather than critiquing it from afar (though there will be plenty of critical engagement) and embracing interactivity in the design and creative process.

To start from the very beginning, I've outlined rough answers to some basic questions about the game's premise. Just the bare intimation of a narrative and design architecture . . . little idea seedlings . . . !

Core Narrative: What kind of story or world will you explore?

• This is a science fiction scenario grounded in realism. The premise follows a man and a woman who form a reluctant partnership as they journey northward along the West Coast, fleeing a pandemic that has wiped out the majority of humanity and led to civilization’s collapse. 

Mechanics: What sort of gameplay mechanics do you envision supporting the narrative?

• Text-based decision-making will be the most fundamental core mechanic and the simplest to effectuate — alongside dialogue between the two principal characters. If I were able to generate a broadly immersive environment, I would opt for survival mechanics and environmental interaction and combat to be part of the core mechanic experience, where a dynamic environment serves as a kind of 3rd principal character. 

Immersive Features: How do you want players to feel immersed?

• Immersion from ambient design, with emphasis on minimal UI and environmental interaction, amid a dynamic world (changing weather and light, etc) would be ideal. 

World Interaction: How will players interact with the game world?

• Players will be in control of a central protagonist. The protagonist, in five chapters, will navigate northward through the hostile wilderness, accompanied by a young woman he has encountered along the way. Dialogue and exploring the complex relationship with the female character, will be a central interactive feature, and take place around a camp setting, which will be a core recurring narrative node in the game. The other primary feature will be an exploration of five settings and scenes, which will allow interaction with basic environment assets and features. The puzzles will be about how to survive in a particular scenario, and how to employ what limited resources you have and are able to find to maximize your chances. Fundamentally, this is primarily a narrative game about two people on a journey together who have been forced to cooperate in order to survive, and the ambient and philosophical experience of that journey and its impact on their characters.

  
  

Tone and Mood: Do you have a particular tone or mood in mind?

• Eerie, mysterious, and atmospheric are three fundamental tone and mood signifiers, alongside a sense of beauty, serenity, and wonder generated from the world experience.