Here is an overview copied over of the game’s narrative, you can find more on the Narrative Writing here.
Setting – 2024, Cosy town similar to Tenby
Genre – Adventure style with strong Story elements
Protagonists – Emily
Narrative Images / Storyboarding:
Copied over from Narrative Writing
Scene 1
The player wakes up starting from the pov of Emily. Emily starts off her day like every other day, Emily is very particular to her routine. Within Emily’s room there’s Maple her beloved cat which when feeling stressed is her go to to ease and self regulate herself. Emily starts off by getting changed out of her pajamas and into her school uniform which then leads her into the bathroom.
Here Emily starts to wash her face and brush her teeth. This is where players may notice a type of mask like object of Emily’s face, once clicked on Emily then picks up the “mask” and carries on her routine like normal. (I’d like to add here that this is the subtleness I want, some players might get the hint of her masking as that’s what females with autism tend to do, but other’s may see it as a bit random. However, I don’t want players to be told right away I want it to be a gradual thing that they piece together but if not that’s also completely ok)
Scene 2
Once Emily is done with her morning routine she heads down to the kitchen to have her usual breakfast and then head off to school, but Poppy isn’t having any of it like a normal 1 year old she’s crying and constantly distracting her mum causing them to start going off schedule. (This is where there will begin to have inner dialogue so that players can understand the impact this is having on Emily)
*Inner Dialogue*
Why aren’t we going! We need to be at school, I don’t understand why Poppy can’t just do as she’s told. This is frustrating, come on!
Scene 3
Emily senses a trigger coming along and decides to take herself off to go find Maple to help self regulate again, and once again the noise is silenced and Emily is able to relax. Once calmed Emily and her mum head off to school.
Scene 4
While in the car players will be prompted to click on the mask of Emily’s face that appears in the right hand corner on the screen. Once clicked Emily will begin to wear the mask. (This is where the term masking starts to play it’s part within autistic women as to everyone else Emily will seem like your neurotypical female. Also whenever Emily wears the mask I want the icon in the corner to be greyed out)
Scene 5 + 6
Emily arrives at school where she is met with the same old smiling face each morning. Robin! Robin is one of Emily’s best friend and someone who is able to fully understand how Emily feels and that allows Emily to fully be her authentic self. (Here is where the mask icon might go from being greyed out to fully coloured again, this is due to the fact that Emily knows she doesn’t have to mask around Robin)
Scene 7
Emily and Robin will start to head into class. (mask icon will prompt players to click it again) On their way there Emily starts to feel slightly anxious but knows that it’s just like every other day and so it will be fine.
Scene 8
As Emily and Robin walk into class they notice that the seating arrangements are slightly different, Robin carries on into class and goes to find two empty seats for them to sit down at. However, it’s not the same for Emily.
*Inner Dialogue*
What? Why’s it changed. They know that I normally sit by the window why is someone else in my chair. They’ll get all their germs on my seat and then I’m going to have to deep clean it. What if I don’t like my new chair, it might not feel the same.
Robin beckons Emily over to come sit with her.
(Up for consideration – Might introduce the heartbeat monitor in the left hand corner as this is where the game loop of the 3 triggers happens)
Scene 9
Emily starts to notice that the class room is getting louder and louder more so than usual and starts to feel anxious, tuning out Robin next to her. (heartbeat increases) Emily begins to start feeling light headed as she continues to stare forward.
Scene 10
All of a sudden Emily begins to have difficulty breathing, chest pain, feeling faint and starts to feel like she is out of control.
*Inner Dialogue*
What is going on, why is none of the other girls feeling like this. Why is it so hard for me.
(This is where the screen will fade in and out and then a black screen will pop up with a heart and lungs on, the heart rate will continue to be there in the left corner. Sound – the sound of a heart beat increasing and heavy breathing will be in the background/ this will last for about 10 seconds where the players won’t be able to do anything they will just have to sit and listen/watch)
Scene 11
With her heart still racing Emily’s view resumes back, where she gets up and leaves to go to the bathroom.
*Inner Dialogue*
I need to leave. I need to leave.
Scene 12
Once in the bathroom Emily reaches for her headphones to help ease her anxiety that had built up. (Screen again fades to black for 10 seconds and a tune starts to play. Mask icon will appear in colour again as she is able to unmask and self regulate.)
Scene 13
(Screen fades back to normal) Emily messages her mum to come collect her. Emily is then on the car journey home. (Here I want the same tune that was playing when Emily experienced her panic attack to be playing subtly in the background, also the mask icon will disappear here as she no longer needs to mask)
Scene 14
Emily is greeted by Maple who is purring away and instantly soothes Emily’s anxiety’s away. (Game screen will fade to black again and here will be where the reveal will begin)
End of Game
In this ending scene there will start to be text appear upon the screen explaining what this game is actually about. And talk the player through how autistic women use this common term of masking hence the icon that kept appearing, it will explain how it’s easy for autistic women to become misdiagnosed with anxiety which some players may have thought this game was initially about. I want this game to be subtle with it’s story telling as I want it to represent how subtle women with autism can be.
(Continue to play the previous tune while this screen is up)
Dialogue
*Important this section gives reference to the in game dialogue, speech bubbles, fonts used & size. You can also refer to the quick prototype I made to help*
Reference Image from prototype:
Font use: Agency FB
Size: 18
Reference for Speech bubbles:
Panic attack scene
In this scene I envision the text to be shaking to encapsulate the fear and anxiety that Emily is experiencing
To help with making the text shake here is a link which is useful and gives the affect that I want. Text font should still be Agency FB and size 18