Finding Appalachia
Academic year: Fall 2023
Studio: Level 05 -- Game Worlds for Appalachia
Instructor: James Halliwell (aka Roha)
Studio: Level 05 -- Game Worlds for Appalachia
Instructor: James Halliwell (aka Roha)
Finding Appalachia is a game world set within a low-poly abstraction of modern Appalachia. In a story of companionship, loss, and discovery/realization, the game follows Cayote and his pack through surreal, yet familiar landscapes and places. An abrupt separation of Cayote and his pack leads Cayote to wisdom and a new outlook towards his home.
The game’s visual themes and story comment on the intrinsic connection between human intervention and natural landscapes, ultimately making the often-forgotten point that humanity shares landscapes with countless other species and complex ecosystems. Appalachia, a region stricken with environmentally detrimental human intervention, is a prime example of a region containing this unique juncture between ecologically preserved landscapes and built environments.
The studio’s scope and focus around the Appalachian experience/region allowed the world to develop its unique visual stylization, story arcs, characters, and themes. An initial exploration and analysis of a published game, in this case, UsTwo Studio’s 'Monument Valley,' showed how simple stylization techniques and precise story beats can create impactful and provocative virtual worlds.
The game’s visual themes and story comment on the intrinsic connection between human intervention and natural landscapes, ultimately making the often-forgotten point that humanity shares landscapes with countless other species and complex ecosystems. Appalachia, a region stricken with environmentally detrimental human intervention, is a prime example of a region containing this unique juncture between ecologically preserved landscapes and built environments.
The studio’s scope and focus around the Appalachian experience/region allowed the world to develop its unique visual stylization, story arcs, characters, and themes. An initial exploration and analysis of a published game, in this case, UsTwo Studio’s 'Monument Valley,' showed how simple stylization techniques and precise story beats can create impactful and provocative virtual worlds.
