Oblivion
2024-Present
Game
Collaborators: Unity Production Foundations, Saltium Games
Game Concept
Oblivion is an atmospheric escape room game set during the Islamic Golden Age. Players embody a confused traveler who wakes up in a disheveled room with no memory of how they arrived. The traveler goes on a journey to find answers, exploring differnet locations, discovering broken artifacts and old texts. By restoring relics and solving puzzles based on these innovations, players unlock new areas and uncover their mysterious past.
My contributions
As a core member of the pre-development design focus group and current playtester for Unity Production Foundations, I've influenced Oblivion from early concept through its current development phase
Design phase contributions:
• Collaborated in bi-weekly design discussions to develop puzzle mechanics using historically accurate technologies from the Islamic Golden Age, including instruments like the Triquetrum, Astrolabe, Al-Jazari's Water Clock, and Abu Al-Salt's Equatorium
• Developed strategic input on level progression that balances challenging puzzle design with engaging learning opportunities, focusing on creating puzzles that:
◦ Educate players about historical artifacts
◦ Maintain
cultural accuracy
◦ Promote player-driven knowledge discovery
Playtesting and UX Refinement (current):
• Documenting game issues with a team spreadsheet tracking system where I categorize feedback (design suggestions, technical bugs, art concerns) and prioritize issues based on impact to gameplay.
• Uncovered critical user experience barriers in early builds that caused confusiong and impeded game progress.
• Proposed an innovative tutorial/guidance system using environmental storytelling:
◦ Subtle guidance through particle systems and object
highlighting
◦ Contextual visual cues (e.g., blue guidance indicators) to
demonstrate object interactions
◦ Non-intrusive navigation system using lighting, animation,
and environmental design
Current stage:
Development is ongoing, with ~35% of planned chapters now complete! My recommendations for a more intuitive guidance system was implemented in the most recent build, resulting in a significantly improved player experience. The development team incorporated optional hints, environmental feedback for player actions, and subtle audio cues that guide without interrupting gameplay.
Playtester feedback has been positive—we've reported a much more enjoyable experience with the revised level design. The changes preserve the game's immersive quality while substantially improving the new player experience. playtesters completed the levels 50% faster with fewer requests for help, while still experiencing the intended sense of challenge, discovery, and achievement.
