Work In Progress

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ANIMA

Play Anima by switching between two unique characters. Min.I, a nimble and energetic maintenance robot capable of running, jumping over obstacles, and wall-bouncing; and Andro.ID, a larger, slower robot with the ability to harness Anima energy and magnetism to manipulate objects around her. Together, they must collaborate to overcome challenging platforming puzzles as they work to restore their fractured world.

Harness magnetic elements from the environment, build and dismantle structures using Anima energy, leap off walls, and navigate the sprawling expanse of a colossal station!

Check it out on STEAM !

Team of 36

Unreal Engine

15 weeks

Perforce

Blueprint

MY ROLE

Lead Scripting / Technical Game Designer

my responsabilities

GAME DESIGN

Designing the game with a team of 12 designers prior to the developpement;
Supporting the Lead Game Designer in updating certain design elements;
Reviewing and implementing users feedback gathered from playstests;

PROGRAMMING (Blueprint)

Creating a collectable journals system;
Developping the game's menu system and HUD;
Building Camera tools, and other tools for the level designers;
Debugging & problem solving;

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Leading a small team of technical game designer on the project;
Communicating changes and advancements the producer, leads, and my own team;
Managing deliveries and deadlines according to the projet pipeline and milestones.

GAME DESIGN

Before the 15 weeks of production for the game, the team of designers (game, techical and level designers) had 2 weeks to prepare the Game Design Document for Anima.

During this period I took the shared leadership of the project to make sure we were working together and that every mechanics, gameplay features and metrics were tought of so we would have some starting point once we started prototyping in engine.

GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT*

During game production I helped prototype, design and develop several of the game systems and gameplay ingredients.

*the document is in french only

MAIN DESIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

CAMERA

Implementing a third-person camera tailored for two distinct characters, ensuring that the camera metrics and overall feeling were precisely adjusted. Additionally, I was building camera tools for the level design team, to help with guidance and navigation.

JOURNAL SYSTEM

Collaborating with the narrative team and writers to develop a collectible journal system integrated throughout the game. I was also responsible for designing the system for journal data management and user interface.

MENU & HUD

Developing the HUD game system and implementing the menu structure with a focus on user experience and feedback. This process involved utilizing Unreal Engine widgets to create an intuitive and responsive interface.

CAMERA

Overview

We received a camera blueprint from another project team, but it wasn't a perfect fit for our requirements. To make it work for us, we had to carefully analyze the design and make several adjustments. This involved tweaking certain features, optimizing components, and aligning the system with our specific project goals. By adapting the blueprint to meet our unique needs, we ensured that it would function effectively within the context of our work.

We tweaked the camera many times to make it as smooth and responssive as possible. We analysed playtests and feedback to try and get it right, when no one would mention how it felt unless it was positive.

Design Intentions

Third-person perspective camera;
A dynamic and responsive camera system;
Adaptable for two distinct characters with unique heights, sizes, and gameplay styles;
Camera tools designed to improve navigation and guidance for level design.

Problematics & Solutions

New to Unreal Blueprint and character camera creation;

Dedicated time to learning Blueprint fundamentals and studying the theory behind video game camera systems.

Managing two distinct characters with unique perspectives and gameplay styles;

Adjusted camera angles, positions, and settings to align with each character’s gameplay and personality.

Navigation and guidance issues highlighted during playtests;

Developed tools for level designers, including fixed and dynamic "look-at" cameras, to enhance player orientation.

MAGNET MODE

Aligned the camera with the ability pointer for precision;
Transitioned to a close-up, "over-the-shoulder" perspective;
Restricted camera angles to enhance object manipulation.

Design Features

LOOK AT

Assisted with in-game orientation and navigation design;
Provided clear indicators for the purpose of interactable elements;
Enabled adjustable variables for level designers' input.

FIXED PERSPECTIVE

Useful for specific platforming sequences, such as wall jumps;
Focuses attention on key locations;
Provides adjustable variables for level designers to customize inputs.

JOURNAL SYSTEM

Overview

The game’s narrative was intentionally focused on small textual logs rather than dialogues or other methods. This decision stemmed from a constraint we faced early in the game’s design process. We developed the idea of collectible data logs, or journals, scattered throughout the station to provide narrative context and enrich the game’s lore and story.

Later, when level designers were tasked with creating additional levels, we had to find a way to integrate these seamlessly into the game. We introduced a corrupted log system, where certain logs would be unreadable and require players to complete bonus levels to decipher their content, adding an engaging layer of challenge and discovery to the gameplay.