Premise
I have yet to determine the name of my P2 Game, but it is a text based narrative game about loss of a family member, emotional distance within families, and rediscovering the family member’s identity after their death. The story begins shortly after the player’s grandmother, Maria, passes away. Tasked by their mother to go through the grandmother’s phone for practical funeral needs – photos, contacts, financial information – the player uncovers a quiet archive of her inner life. Through text messages, notes, photos, and browser history, the player discovers the grandmother’s personality, much more than when they interacted with her during her life.
Player Role
The player steps into the role of the grandchild, sorting through their grandmother’s phone at their mother’s request. Their actions mainly include choosing to browse through items or not on their grandmother’s phone and talking to their mother with different dialogue choices.
Player Goals
At first, the player’s goals are clear and logistical: find the information that their mother asked for from their grandmother’s phone (funeral photo, hobby documentation, contact info of close friends, etc.). These tasks are presented as a checklist.
However, as the player explores the goal shifts from external to internal. The player begins to uncover emotional objectives of understanding who the grandmother really was and confronting their emotional distance. The game’s ending depends on how much the player chooses to explore beyond simple task completion.
Player Conflict
The player is immediately presented with a challenge of finding a list of information. However, the main conflict is the tension between getting the job done (task list) and truly engaging with what is in the Grandma’s phone that reveals what the Grandma’s life was like. The player feels the pressure of getting tasks done while the uncomfortable intimacy of intruding on their grandmother’s private thoughts.
Player Choices
At a high level, the player can choose to continue emotional avoidance versus breaking the cycle that has continued in the family. The player has the ability to choose between doing the bare minimum of searching the phone only for the task list versus browsing through more context to truly understand their grandma. They also have the choice of how much they disclose to their mom and how they choose to approach her. Different choices will lead to varying dynamics with the mom, whether it is maintaining the same emotional distance or making a small step towards understanding each other.
Player Actions
Players can click into different parts of the phone to explore and talk to their mom (e.g. Messages, Photos, Notes, Browser). When talking to their mom, the player will have the options to share different kinds of information with her.
Resources
The primary resources in this game are pieces of information the player encounters by choosing to explore the phone. The external motivator is being able to check off items on the task list.
Game Events
The game is mostly linear with open exploration within the section where the player is exploring the phone:
- Receiving the phone – establishes the premise and player’s task list.
- Exploring the phone – player sees different facets of grandma from Messages, Photos, Browser, and Notes
- The conversation with Mom – narrative resolution and player choice: maintain distance or bridge it.
- Ending reflection – outcome determined by the player’s level of discovery and empathy.
Game Map
Timeline
Oct 19: Complete the premise and mapping
Oct 20: Writing the first draft, playtest #2
Oct 21: Rapid iteration + playtest #3-4
Oct 22: Further rapid iteration + playtesting
Oct 23: Revisions + migrate to parser fiction platform
Oct 24: Final revisions + submission
