Game Design & Development — ‘21

DeArtective Game

TYPE

Creative Project

TEAM

Thao Le

Hoang Quynh

Nhung Bui

SCOPE

Game Ideation, Art Direction, 3D Modeling, Game UI,

Unreal Engine Build, Motion Design.

Game design & mechanics for Devi's room level.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Discovering Brave Stories Through Play

DeArtective is a 3D puzzle game that invites players to uncover the powerful true stories behind three young heroines — Malala Yousafzai, Nujood Ali, and Maibam Prity Devi — known for their extraordinary courage.

Players take on the role of a detective, solving interactive puzzles/minigames to uncover each girl's story: from surviving a school bus shooting, escaping child marriage, to saving lives during conflict. The project reimagines the typical virtual museum experience into something playful, engaging, and meaningful.

THE IDEATION

A Reimagined Interactive Museum

The initial idea for "Deartective" stemmed from a university brief to create a virtual museum for the RMIT Vietnam gallery. While the brief included showcasing various artists, we were particularly drawn to Lien Truong's work and the powerful narratives hinted at within her painting. Some other artworks are still featured in the game due to the requirement of the brief.

We saw an opportunity to go beyond a static display and create an interactive experience centered around these three heroines. To deepen engagement, we decided to "hide" each subject within a distinct virtual room. This design choice encourages players to actively seek them out, much like progressing through 3 different levels to unlock their individual stories.

Nujood Ali's story

Girl from Yemen forced into marriage at age 9. After being beaten and raped by her husband, on April 15, 2008, she broke with tribal tradition and successfully obtained a divorce. At 16, she changed her name from Nujood, which means "hidden", to Nojoom, which means "stars in the sky".

Malala Yousafzai's story

A Pakistani activist for female education. In 2012, after taking an exam, was shot by the Taliban while on a school bus. In 2014, she was the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate at 17.

Maibam Prity Devi's story

Some unidentified militants threw a grenade into Prity's family shop in Manipur, India. Prity - a 10 year old girl saved many lives when she picked up and threw away the grenade. Later, she received the National Children's Bravery Award.

THE PROCESS

From Concept to Creation

Our team was passionate to bringing "DeArtective" to life. We had 3 distinct virtual rooms dedicated to each subject, and we had a team of 3. Wholesome.

Our process began with brainstorming and creating mood boards in InVision to define the atmosphere and visual cues/items for each space, aligning them with the individual stories. These shared visions then took shape through individual contributions in 3D modeling the interior spaces using Blender. Finally, we integrated these assets, gameplay mechanics, and narrative elements within the Unreal Engine, collectively building the final interactive experience.

CREDITS

Room design, 3D modelling & Game development for:

— Maibam Prity Devi: Nhung Bui

— Nujood Ali: Hoang Quynh

— Malala Yousafzai: Thao Le

Graphic design: Thao Le, Nhung Bui, Hoang Quynh

Motion graphic: Nhung Bui

Other
PROJECTS

VISUAL DIRECTION

A Warm Visual Embrace

The visual direction embraced a contemporary interior design with a warm color palette & minimal UI design, creating an elegant and wholesome atmosphere. Mirroring Lien Truong's painting, the constant presence of the vast ocean just beyond the windows offers a calming backdrop to these powerful stories

GAMEPLAY

Challenge No.1

The first challenge requires player to solve the puzzle of Bui Cong Khanh's artwork to discover the first clue to find Devi

Challenge No.2

The second challenge is inspired from Devi's act of bravery by throwing a grenade outside and saving lives, as informed as a reward in the previous challenge

Challenge No.3

Player continues solving the puzzle challenge made from Bui Cong Khanh's artwork. The reward is crucial to find Devi in the final challenge

Final Challenge

The final interactive moment places the player before a television screen, where they must carefully adjust the dial to locate the specific channel airing the news report celebrating Devi's bravery