During the early stages of conceptualization, I found myself coming up with ideas that did not allow me to properly make use of the one touch control scheme in the context of their respective stories. As a result of this, I tried to stay away from committing to a narrative for the game and instead focused on how I wanted the game to play which then helped build the concept for HENRi.
I began by making a list of gameplay ideas that I thought would be interesting to implement in a game that only has one button to control a character. I wanted the player to concentrate on staying within an area of effect that is constantly moving while avoiding obstacles that would make it difficult to do so. Unlike a traditional endless runner, I didn’t want the player to fall over or slow down after touching the obstacles. Instead, I chose to have the in-built engine physics prevent the player from moving forward. By choosing to do this, I was able to have some fun with the hindrance that each obstacle would present to the player. I played around with the idea of having the player crouch in place to avoid obstacles but in practice, it didn’t feel right and took away from the sense of urgency that the game otherwise was beginning to present. I decided to keep the player moving but at a slower pace while crouching. Once I was set on the game mechanics, it was a lot easier to come up with a story that worked in tandem with the gameplay.
HENRi is a game set in an unnamed elementary school. The player takes on the role of Henri, a new student looking to make new friends. He reckons that the best way to get to know his classmates is by walking with them in between classes and interacting with them. There is a bit of a problem though; Henri gets anxious when meeting new people and can swear that it’s made evident to everyone that he feels uneasy as his anxiety alters his physical form. Perhaps making some new friends will help him feel more welcome and take his mind off how he appears to others.
The game starts off in a classroom where we see all of Henri’s classmates leave the room to go to their next class. Henri follows them but is blocked by the door frame. At this point, the player will be encouraged to try to get Henri to leave the class by crouching. This introduces the player to the controls of the game and serves as a tutorial. Exiting the classroom triggers the next scene and now it’s the player’s job to make sure that Henri does not stray too far from the rest of his classmates. Walking alongside a classmate earns Henri reputation points with that classmate and the longer he continues to interact, the more likely he is to make a new friend by the time everyone gets to their next class.
suryasangwan 