Research
I have always had a fascination for mediums that are aware of their existence, reflect on it, and can transcend the thin line that separates them from reality. As part of my research, I delved deeper into this topic and explored their representation in relevant media, mainly video games, for my thesis work. I examined them primarily from the perspective of their narratives. Additionally, I studied indie games, their origins, development, and influential role in the video game industry.
Diploma work concept
My thesis project is a 2D side-scrolling platformer video game. The player-controlled character must navigate through platform elements to complete each level.
The ultimate goal of my project was to create a demo version of the video game, which will provide a playable glimpse into the full-game experience. It will feature one playable character and the first level, accompanied by comic-style transition videos that introduce the story.
Inspirations
As I have been involved in the gaming industry for a long time and have played its various products, I haven't lacked inspiration. I examined my collections for the game from multiple perspectives and categorized them for easier organization and clarity.
synopsis
A four-member bird mask wearing hacktivist group uncovers the horrifying and increasingly disturbing dark secrets of everyday people during their hacking activities, which they expose to the public.
story
The story aims to draw attention to the dangers of unprotected internet usage and shed light on the unchecked nature of human fallibility and selfish desires.
The story was created simultaneously with the characters, after finalizing the characters, I divided the story into four parts, assigning one level to each character.
identity theft
→ Uho
Uho sips his tea in his favourite café while a petty hacker steals unsuspecting victims’ credit card data through the open Wi-Fi network. Uho sets out to stop his schemes once and for all.
ddos
→ Dory
A bedroom hacker, who was offended by a meme criticizing their favorite celebrity, launched a revenge campaign against Dory’s favorite meme website by freezing it with a DDoS attack.
predator
→ Tenno
Tenno wants to post his new skateboard trick on social media, but the platform is being flooded with spam containing explicit photos and videos of minors. The admins helplessly observe this situation and are unable to stop the wave of posts. Tenno suspects that there is something bigger behind it, considering that the website hasn't been taken down yet.
trafficking
→ Tori
Tori gathers the team at the hideout with great concern. A few days ago, one of their friends was abducted after a night out. During their investigation, Tori came across a vast network of human trafficking where their friend might be held captive.
characters
For the characters' personalities, I incorporated the characteristics and traits of the endangered birds the masks symbolize. I combined these with my own personality traits to create believable human characters with goals, desires, and emotions.
In the demo version of the project, one character is playable, Tori.
animations
For the character animations and game menus I used the frame-by-frame animation technique, utilizing Adobe Photoshop and After Effects. It was important for me to maintain a hand-drawn aesthetic throughout the project, which I tried to emphasize in every aspect.
Once the animations were completed, they needed to be placed side by side, frame by frame, forming a so-called spritesheet, to be incorporated into the game.
Maps
The primary focus in designing the levels was to tell the story that encompasses them. In the final game, there would be a total of four playable levels, each with a different character.
In the demo version of my thesis project, the first level (Identity Theft) and its story are introduced and playable.
UI
For the main menu, I envisioned a hideout where the birds spend their off time and the camera's view can freely move in it. It's a basement with different areas for each bird to occupy. The camera's view within this space serves as the Main Menu.
During gameplay, no traditional on-screen HUD elements will be visible, except for the countdown timer. Instead, important information, such as character controls, will be displayed directly in the background as diegetic interfaces.
The Pause Menu appears when the player hits the 'ESC' button, which also aims to break the fourth wall.
In terms of font usage, I made a custom handwritten graffiti-style font for all in-game texts, menus, and cutscenes.
Music & sound effects
The Main Menu and In-game music was sourced from free-to-use type beats.
Levente Bakos and Benjámin Mojzes were also instrumental in assisting with the intro music and sound effects.
Development
The development of the game was a collaboration with Software Engineering students from the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science. We formed teams and worked together to develop the game. The SE students were led and assisted by Teaching Assistant Ede Troll.
My team consisted of:
Bálint Anka
Réka Erdész
Benjámin Tamás Lezsák
Exhibition
The diploma exhibition is based on the same bunker prototype I used for the Main Menu.
Through the exhibition, my aim was to create a space that evokes the atmosphere of a secluded nook or a childhood bunker, immersing the visitors in a unique experience.
