Project Details

Position:           Design Lead - Puzzle Designer - UX Designer
Time frame:    May 2017 - June 2017 (7 weeks)
Team Size:      16
Short brief:      ''A puzzle game set in a 1960's office environment which                              satires everyday bureaucracy.''
Download:       www.thekeytax.com
Software:

Description

The Key Tax is a humorous First-Person Puzzle game that satires on the nonsense of everyday bureaucracy.
Set in a late 60's office environment, The Key Tax offers a seamless narrative experience of which absurdism and surrealist humour are its strong points.
The player puzzles their way through the tax office to try to deliver their tax return form in time.
The game was created as a case study for a new academic research in development by Dr. Mata Haggis -The Taxonomy of Keys-.
In-game menu
This menu, along with the pause menu, I created by testing with audiences what options they'd like to have available at each stage of the game (start, in-game, pause menu, end game).  This flowchart was the result of the game's menu flow after various iterations.

Responsibilities

- Divide and review tasks across the team's puzzle, UX, audio and narrative developers
- UX and menu design, described in full detail here.
- 3 puzzle levels: 'Smile, or Else', 'Fire Exit', and 'Office Papers' (no Level Select checkpoint), a full iteration document of which can be found here.
Foto
Fire Exit puzzle

This puzzle was designed as an "intermediate" level of the "object interaction" dynamic. The player has to find the fires and bring the correct object to it in order to progress. Well received humor point was the fire exit that's on fire.

Takeaways

- Planning and short-notice decision making on various features
- UI/UX flow, useability and implementation
- Application of 4 stages of puzzle design (Introduction, Intermediate, Advanced and Mastery) using various puzzle mechanics
- Preparation of press kit and website for IGF and DGA submission
- Time allocation for finalizing the project, otherwise known as 'adding the final touches'
Foto
Office Papers puzzle

This puzzle is a "master" level of the "object interaction", and "sequential placement" dynamics, where players have to find multiple objects, place them in the right location and activate the stampers in the correct order.

Achievements

- Academic Year 2016-2017 IGAD Best Game Design from Year 2 Students