Across the Galaxy

Across the Galaxy is an interactive visual novel which follows the story of two best friends that are given the task to save humanity in their attempt to seek for a habitable planet for humans to live on.

The Concept

As a team, we were looking for a concept that would work well for a branching storyline in our game. After brainstorming several ideas, we decided that a space-themed game would be the perfect fit.

We believed that traversing through planets and exploring different galaxies would offer a wide range of possibilities for the player's choices and actions. We could create unique scenarios and decision points for each planet, and the player's choices would have a significant impact on the overall story and the fate of their character.

Flowchart

To keep track of every decision the player can create, I designed a flow diagram to help me visualize and map out the different choices and outcomes that could be made in the game. The flow chart was a visual representation of any significant decision point in the story as it aided me to keep track of how each choice affected the overall narrative.

The flow chart allowed me to see how each choice led to different branches in the story, and how those branches in turn affected the other choices that were available to the player. By mapping out the different paths in the story, I was able to ensure that all of the choices were consistent and that the story flowed smoothly.

The flow chart was also a useful tool for testing and debugging the game. By simulating different player choices and following the flow chart, I could quickly identify any inconsistencies or errors in the story and correct them.

Overall, the flowchart allowed me to manage the complexity of the story and keep track of the different branching paths and outcomes. With the flow chart in place, I was able to create a compelling and immersive narrative that provided players with a wide range of choices and outcomes.

Coding

After creating the concept and wireframing for our game, we began to consider which engine would be the best fit for our project.

I decided to use Ren'Py as the engine to code the game as it was a free and open-source engine based on Python that provides various tools for the creation of interactive storytelling experiences. I felt that Ren'py offered everything we needed for our project, including an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, a wide range of customization options, and powerful scripting tools to create our game.

Image Description

A Fully Interactive Story

Across the Galaxy follows a non-linear narrative path that features four playable routes for the player to choose from. All paths include their own unique story and ending dependent on the players decision.

Dynamic Choices

Players are able to control the journey of the main characters based on the choices they have made throughout the story.

The Experience

Throughout the game's design process, I have applied levels of logic and problem solving to fully understand how to script and code in many non-linear narrative paths together into one complete story. Planning ahead and coordinating with my team allowed us to create an effective work structure that would help us keep up with deadlines. Creative techniques such as world building and script writing has allowed me to produce an immerse and interactive world for the players to experience.