Case Study
The Goal
The goal was to provide a thought-provoking game that encouraged the player to reflect on the situation. Games that teach, train or encourage contemplation are not new. However, there are very few that do it well and produce a fun game that people want to play. Synergy represents an early attempt from us back in 2012.
Concept Art
We explored many different art styles. We found a representation of the player to be the hardest challenge. The early idea of a virus (as seen in the below pictures) seemed too aggressive, but we did not want a humanoid as players find it easy to detach humans from nature.
Early video concept
Design Philosophy
The game was heavily inspired by Jonathan Blows’ masterpiece, Braid. We took care to make sure each puzzle could be seen in full at any one time. This meant fitting all the elements onto one screen which ended up being somewhat of a challenge! The end result meant one could theoretically solve each level just by looking at a screenshot. Can you work out how to solve the below?
Collaboration
We worked with musician Anastasia Devana to create the audio.
hearxr.com