MIND DRAGONS
Engine: LÖVE
Language: Lua
Solo Development
Synopsis: After a rough first semester of college, four semi-acquaintances return home to their town for winter break. With nothing else to do, they start up a game of table-top RPG, occasionally spending time together outside the game. As days pass on, the friends become closer, their fantasy characters revealing themselves as reflections their mental states. Between both in game battles and real-world hardships, they work to overcome their mental monsters before they succumb to them.
Available for Download on itch.io
Go to Game Page on itch.io
Design
Real World
Explore your home town as a narrative 2D side-scroller
Features:
Exploration, and dialogue choices
Fantasy Realm
Battle monsters in this screen-in-screen play system, where characters discuss out-of-character around the table and in-character with their sprites.
Each character's movesets are based around their neurodivergencies, with their stats and special abilities directly related to their current mental states.
Features:
Dialogue, puzzle solving, platforming, and game-changing choices
- Character Writing -
Creating the characters was an interesting challenge, as I had to create people who would likely not be friends but would get along to the point that they would want to spend time together. I also wanted to focus on mental health without making that the character's whole personality. Ultimately, I wanted them to have wants, hardships, and wounds that informed their personalities, voices, and decisions.
Summaries of the final characters can be seen below.
- Characters -
Reality: Playable Character
Fantasy: The Game Master
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Creative
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Introverted
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Dependable
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Depressed
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Low self worth
E R I N
"C'mon Erin! You don't have time to feel sorry for yourself. Not worth the effort anyway"
Erin had a rough time at college, barely able to keep herself afloat. However, as she still managed to get all A's, she has managed to hide her mental breakdowns from her should-be-divorced parents. Her main concern for break is keeping up the facade that everything is OK.
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Depressed
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Low Self Worth