Premise
In Blank Canvas, you play as a struggling artist trying to make ends meet in New York City. With a father who doubts your dreams, your goal is to prove him wrong and make your mark on the art world. But it’s not easy — between the high cost of living, the rise of “AI artists,” and the fading line between creating for passion and creating for profit. As you navigate the challenges of survival and self-expression, you’ll shape your beliefs about AI’s place in art and decide what kind of artist — and person — you want to become. Will you compromise, or chase your vision to the end?
Map & Key Plot Points
View the Figma if below is blurry: link
What I want to highlight:
- The guilt of an artist: parents shaming you; not making enough money to survive; the choice between dreams and security
- The struggles of the modern artist: AI art is unregulated– feeling like your art is at risk; the feeling of being replaced; the feeling of not being better than AI, no matter how hard you try; not knowing what is real art vs. AI art anymore
- The ethics of AI Art: can we use AI for good? does AI art make art “accessible?” how can we make AI art better? what is the purpose of art to begin with? who is to say AI art is not art?
Fig 1. The settings include your cramp NYC apartment, the art gallery popup, and the Wentworth studio
Fig 2. Act 0 establishes your character. Act 1 demonstrates the influx of AI art.
Fig 2. Act 2 sets up Bill’s character, explaining his view on AI art
Fig 3. Act 3 sets up Natsuke’s character and your experience as an artist making a film in a studio, where you can reach all 5 endings: fail as an artist (failure ending), be blissful (uneventful ending), go full on anti-AI, see the potential of ethical AI, or go full on AI (last 3 are for you to kind of pick through).
Project Plan
10/17 to 10/18 — implement the history system
before Monday class: 10/18 to 10/20 — finish rough outline of game up to act II (dialogue nodes), add some character art
before Wednesday class: 10/21 — finish up to act III (dialogue nodes)
10/20 to 10/27 — hook up dialogue to events in game, background art (settings), player animations, NPC refinement
10/20 to 10/27 — revise based on playtests
10/27 — refined prototype done
10/27 to 10/31 — minor edits based on playtests
Challenges: lots of art to draw + having to add or draw more characters potentially based on the gameplay
