Writing dialogues
- Managing narrative branching, using Ink for Unity.
- Selecting character emotions.
- Integrating variables to enhance gameplay control.
- Exploring dialogue systems to create narrative tension, such as forcing repeated choices.
- Integrating variables to craft dialogues tailored to the player’s situation.
Writing characters
I created a template for developing my 9 characters, along with a concise writing guide to help bring them to life through their dialogue.
Their “archetypes” reflect the types of people I imagine would end up in a demon-themed pub: a geek, an emo, a confused grandma who wandered into the wrong shop…
Below, you can read a short sample of Morgane talking.
Designing gameplay for visual novel
We wanted to integrate a gameplay element into our visual novel, so we designed a compass to help both Ava’Tinyss and the player visualize emotions and their ærys value, to help in decision-making.
Each character has their own unique combination of three main emotions, based on their personalities.
Below is the first prototype of the compass for Raphaël, Morgane, Jérôme, and Yvette.
We went through multiple iterations of our compass UI. In the end, we focused on improving readability by minimizing text and replacing the stars with our own ærys symbol.
We still need to enhance the gauge’s lisibility, as it’s currently too small to be easily read.
A few words about reviews & playtests
With a background in User Research, it was natural for me to playtest our game from the very beginning. This allowed us to improve both the UI and narrative clarity.
Concerned about enhancing my writing skills, I also sought feedback from senior Writers and Narrative Designers, particularly during Game Camp 2024. Their input was invaluable in helping me grow, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me.