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You, Me & Mutiny
Introduction
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My goal for this project was to blend gameplay and story into a cohesive experience. The story beats should affect the gameplay.
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The main character is Dekker, an experienced hacker who, alongside her robot companion Donkey, will infiltrate a dubious tech company to steal information that will help the underground revolution that the hacker duo is part of. However, the duo is unaware of the advanced technological entity with malicious intent that is also interested in the company's secrets.
Breakdown
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Solo project spanning 8 weeks half-time (4 hours/day)
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Focus on narrative impact on gameplay
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Scripts for hacking, AI and dialogue
Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
Assets Used​
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Playthrough
Introduction
​
My goal for this project was to blend gameplay and story into a cohesive experience. The story beats should affect the gameplay.
​
The main character is Dekker, an experienced hacker who, alongside her robot companion Donkey, will infiltrate a dubious tech company to steal information that will help the underground revolution that the hacker duo is part of. However, the duo is unaware of the advanced technological entity with malicious intent that lurks behind a certain firewall.
​
Special thanks to Morris Åstrand for his scanning effect and Ville Wickman for editing the dialogue.
Breakdown
​
-
Solo project spanning 8 weeks half-time (4 hours/day)
-
Focus on narrative impact on gameplay
-
Scripts for hacking, AI and dialogue
-
Made in Unreal Engine 5
Overview
Story Synopsis
Dekker, a vigilante hacker, meets up with her robot companion, Donkey, to infiltrate and steal information from the tech company Demeine Inc. They slip into the building unnoticed, disabling security cameras and patrolling drones.
The duo separates shortly before reaching the main server room and Dekker continues on her own. The hacking effects are now only temporary and Dekker must rush past security drones before they reactivate. Donkey is needed to prolong the hacking effects.
After hacking the main terminal and stealing its information, Dekker intends to reconvene with Donkey. Instead, she finds out that the notorious AI called Mutiny has taken over all tech in the area: including Donkey.
Dekker rushes back to the server room, with all security on high alert and targeting her. She notices that Mutiny has influence over her hacking mechanism as well, making it harder to disable the drones that are attacking her. Dekker reaches the server room where Donkey is accessing the main display terminal. Dekker rushes to her old companion, hacks them and resets their software, effectively deleting all that was Donkey.
Flowchart
1. Dekker and Donkey meet up
4. Dekker and Donkey split up
7. Dekker realizes that the AI Mutiny has taken over Donkey
2. Dekker and Donkey infiltrate the building
5. Dekker makes her way to the server room on her own
8. Dekker rushes back to the server room to stop Donkey
3. Dekker and Donkey make their way through the building, disabling tech along the way
6. Dekker hacks the main terminal, downloads information and disables all security
9. Dekker catches up to Donkey and resets its software
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Top Down
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Hacking Mechanic
Scanning & Triggering
A sphere trace triggered by holding down RMB scans for collisions of type "hackable". Scanning a hackable object enables the ability to trigger the hacking mechanic, where the player must type in the shown combination before time runs out.
Adjustable Difficulty
The amount of time and letters can be adjusted, allowing for a difficulty progression as the player continuously encounters a variation of hackable objects. The presence of the robot also makes hacking more effective where hacked objects remain disabled, whereas the effects are only temporary when the player is on their own. This is to highlight the positive impact of the player and the robot working together and to accentuate the robot's absence versus presence.
Reversed Order
In Act 3 when the AI Mutiny has taken control of all tech in the area, including the player's hacking system, the player must then insert the letter combination backwards, going from right to left. This is to disorient the player to mirror the main character's loss of control as the AI takes over.
Design Techniques
Ki-Sho-Ten-Ketsu
Ki - Introduction
The player is introduced to the hacking mechanic in a safer environment with a short letter combination and a longer timer.
Ten - Twist
Very suddenly, the hacking mechanic is turned on its head and the player must insert the letter combination backwards to achieve success. The combinations are also longer and the timer is shorter.
Sho - Development
The player can start to master the hacking mechanic by encountering longer combinations at a steady pace.
Ketsu - Conclusion
The player realizes that they can use their hacking ability to save the day, even though the ability is in a twisted state.
Foreshadowing
Pipes
The pipes that lead into the server room are visible before the player reaches them. The robot Donkey also points this fact out.
Flickering Lights
The lights flicker throughout the level to indicate that something is wrong, and to foreshadow the presence of the AI Mutiny.
Funnel Before Reveal
Leading the player through a cramped area before entering a larger space makes for a more impactful reveal.
Level Loop
The player travels through the same area twice, but the second time there are different conditions to create variety in gameplay.
Process
Pre-Production
I wrote a short script to grasp an overview of the experience, a script that I updated throughout the development process to align with the different changes I was making. I also adhered to the classic 3 Act Story Structure to ensure that the experience constisted of distinctive story points.
I looked up different references and landed on Mirror's Edge: Catalyst as my primary visual influence.
Player Gym
I had a player gym where I could test out the different mechanics and AI behavior before implementing them into the actual level.
Metrics
It was important to get the metrics and layout right early to be able to build a functioning level. I started with a blockout that I tested multiple times to see if the size felt suitable for the experience. I actually did not stray too far from the original blockout and only had to tweak and iterate on a few things. For example, I wanted the player to climb through a ventilation system at one point, but I faced struggles with the camera getting squished or clipping through walls. To mitigate this, I decided to make the player climb on top of the ventilation instead.
Readability
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Playtesters would express a want for a visual representation of hackable items, therefore I added a large moving arrow to indicate which objects you can hack.
I also added an outline that triggers when scanning a hackable object.
Make It Work
I tried to adhere to the mindset of "make it work", meaning that I would ensure that a feature or mechanic would reach a playable and decent state and then I would move on to the next task instead of finetuning one thing until perfection, even though it was very tempting. I constantly reminded myself that polish was for later: the priority was to make every aspect of the game work. I knew I had to be able to play the game from start to finish before I could really go in and make meaningful adjustments. It can be hard to leave something in an unpolished state, but as soon as something works and is readable, then it is time to move on.
Reflections
I am very pleased with this project. Dekker and Donkey now have a very special place in my heart. I am, however, unsure whether or not the reversed hacking fits the intended level of pacing for the last act of the experience. I wanted to create a sense of urgency towards the end where the player quickly has to make their way back to the server room to stop Donkey. However, it is difficult to create momentum as the player must stop along the way to hack attacking drones. I noticed that playtesters really found the reversed order to be disorienting, which was intended, but it creates a disruption in the gameplay flow. There is also nothing at the moment that indicates to the player that the hacking order has been reversed.
Overall, I am happy with the outcome. I feel attached to Dekker and Donkey, and playtesters would express sadness at the end when Donkey "dies".
Thank you for reading!
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