Devlog #1: Brainstorming & Demoing

Brainstorming 

Our team, Covenant Studios, has been tasked with adapting one of the six ideas offered by Sheridan College, Truth & Shadows. Truth & Shadows requires the player to control their body and shadow to solve puzzles. Players will also use their shadow to create pathways to navigate through lit terrains while avoiding enemies. Each team member took some time to brainstorm their interpretations of the idea to be presented. A common trope that stayed consistent throughout all ideas was the shadow and light being two separate entities rather than a single one. One of the brainstormed ideas also incorporated a co-op mode. After our discussion, we agreed upon an idea for an upcoming demo showcase hosted by Sheridan College. As of now, Truth and Shadow is a 3D puzzle game that has two forms the players can switch between. The light form can move through the illuminated sections of the landscape, whilst the shadow form allows the player to move through the shadows and cast shadows by interacting with items in the environment. Truth and Shadows draws inspiration from games such as Schim, Journey, and Unravel.

Demoing & Next Steps

The team worked for 8 hours on a demo, and we were able to get our key mechanic to a place where the idea could be readily conveyed to players, but the functionality still needed to be improved. Going forward, Covenant Studios plans to further work on the shadow mechanic to improve playability and presentation. Regarding the narrative part, we will find the most appropriate way to present our gameplay, not only using words for show or maybe using animation etc. 

Technical Aspects and Coding

We created the interface for testing and knowing when an entity tagged with “Player” is in the light in the game. Since this is one of the core mechanics of the game, it is fundamental that we complete this as early as possible. Other than the completed light detection mechanic, we also focused on creating the shapeshifting mechanic between the shadow body and the 2D shadow form. We also created sample character models and designed a default level with lights and obstacles for the demo. We also added animation for the character movement for both body and shadow, and we need to complete the syncing between the shadow character & the shadow form with the light detection as well as adding in fully functional light detection and interaction mechanics into the game.