Aria
A story-based emotional VR experience.
Selected exhibitor for White Nights St. Petersburg 2020.
Feminist Media Festival Finalist.
Exhibited at USC GAME EXPO 2020, got the front page of Twitch.
Set in the cold, deadly void of space, Aria is a story-based VR experience where you are placed in a pod to escape a catastrophic explosion on your spaceship. You must succeed on getting back to the Earth by flying to a space station and asking for help. The AI assistant, Aria, acts as your guide in activating and navigating your escape pod to its destination, and to your safe recovery.
However, on the way, disaster strikes, how can you overcome them and successfully reach the space station with Aria? You can find the answer in our game - Aria.
Advising by Richard Lemarchand.
MY ROLE
Game Designer/Art Director/Technical Artist
Developed core mechanics, visual style, and narrative beats.
Responsible for the layout of the environment by using 3D packages and modeling detailed items.
Designed and programmed the visual effect and control lighting function.
TEAM SIZE - 2 full-time & 2 volunteers
DEVELOPMENT DURATION - 4 months
TOOL - Unity3D/C#/Maya/C4D/Substance Painter/Photoshop
“Aria is a lovely game about those things that mean everything to us when we never even realized they were there. A short touching experience where a symbol computerized voice guides us through when it first seemed to the short trip but decent to the fail in chaos. Aria highlights the ability of gentle interaction, allowing the players to interact by constraining their ability to affect rather than watch, and its power to convey meaning and experience. IndieCade finds Aria's use of immersion, and virtual reality to be exploring the emerging field of experiential narrative. Stories about the feeling they impart or the events of characters they present and echo evolution of painting and film in past centuries in an exciting part of the growing field of play.” - IndieCade 2020
Game Flow
Main Menu
Guide animation teach how to press button and grab things.
Introduction
Voice over explain what happened and what to do. Splash light and explosion sound to put the player in a unknown and strange situation.
ACT 1 - First contact with Aria
Aria introduces herself, teaches the player how to control the escape pod.
ACT 1 - First look at the space and drive
Aria talks to the player and plays her favorite sleep music. The player controls the pod and avoids asteroids.
ACT 1 - Giant Meteorite
A big meteor hit the pod, and let the pod broken some parts.
ACT 2 Repair Aira
The player needs to solve the puzzle to repair Aria.
ACT 2 Repair GPS signal & joystick
The player needs to solve the puzzle to repair GPS and joystick.
ACT 2 - Driving
The driving becomes harder, and the player can see the station.
ACT 2 - Second explorsion
The pod is on fire and the energy decreases to 5%.
ACT 2 - Energy box
Aria suggests using an alternative energy source.
ACT 2 - Energy box
Then she falls to sleep and becomes transparent.
ACT 2 - Press eject button
The space station detects the pod and commands the player to press the button to leave the pod due to potential danger.
ACT 2 - Leave the pod
The player has the helmet on, watching the pod exploded. The player is safe.
ACT 3 - Back to home
The player receives a package.
ACT 3 - Gift
The phonograph plays Aria’s music.
Credit scene
For people who contribute to our project.
Goal
Audience Experience Goals
The audience will get assistance from the AI and will have an emotional connection with the AI.
Design Goals
Game Mechanics or Interactive Patterns
Pressing different types of buttons (solve puzzles) to activate the spaceship & Grab items.
Social Impact Goals
A game designed to put players in a stressful situation.
Target Audience
People who love sci-fi games and enjoy experiencing stories and people who love problem-solving while under a stressful environment.