Imprint
A game about individual and collective memory - and the longing to belong. Wander through liminal spaces, uncovering echoes of forgotten moments, and traces of those who came before. As you shift between isolation and connection, you're invited to reflect on the boundaries that shape us - and to imagine what lies beyond them.
Based on personal experiences of cultural integration and the search for home, Imprint is a symbolic abstraction of memory that others can interpret in their own ways. The player is guided through a linear narrative in which environments, interactions, and dynamic levels of agency synergize to reflect the character's emotional journey.
Imprint was created for my master’s thesis at The Royal Danish Academy. It is a work in progress, currently featuring several playable scenes, with additional characters, interactions, and a looping narrative structure in development.
Roles:Â Â Solo Developer (concept, design, 3D art, animation, tech, and audio)
Planning
Storyboards and diagrams were made to plot out the game's visual narrative arch, as well as the expected emotional engagement of players throughout each scene:
Character Design
Characters began as 2D concept art and were later modelled, rigged and animated in Blender. Various proportions were experimented with - I sought a simple, sympathetic design that players could 'imprint' themselves upon. Their noisy transparent surface was created with Unity's shadergraph:
Interaction & Design
Mechanics, composition, and tone correlate with Imprint's emotional narrative arch and themes:
The experience begins with minimal agency, immersing the player in monotony and suspense. It continues on to sentimental reflection, granting them fleeting choices which prompt unique interpretations. Emphasis was placed on the affordance, signifiers, and feedback of interactive elements in each scene.
The experience begins with minimal agency, immersing the player in monotony and suspense. It continues on to sentimental reflection, granting them fleeting choices which prompt unique interpretations. Emphasis was placed on the affordance, signifiers, and feedback of interactive elements in each scene.
The shifting scale of elements - like character and room size, or the camera’s movement from wide-angle anonymity to close, over-the-shoulder views - reflects one of Imprint’s core themes: the ongoing cycle between individuality and collectivity.
