RADIANT RUSH
Mobile Game / Major Project.
It is not surprising that younger generations are opting to spend less time in nature and more time with technology, which is likely negatively impacting our well-being. RadiantRush is a game concept designed to blend the addictive allure of technology with the therapeutic benefits of nature. Set in an imagined parallel world, RadiantRush blends virtual racing with real-world discovery, encouraging players to find and explore green spaces near them.
THE CONCEPT.
The philosophy behind creating this game was to encourage those who don't regularly engage with the natural world to instead do so. Why? Because it makes us feel better, it makes us more focused, more productive, less stressed and depressed and more creative. And considering Wellington boasts some of the oldest and most beautiful urban green spaces in the world, this global issue had precedence locally. I identified the audience as chronically-online gamers, which created a nice intersection between the issue, the audience, and the solution.
HOW IT'D WORK.
Inspired by the shortcomings of experiential games such as Pokémon GO and Geocaching, I devised an adventure-story "exploration-first" collection gaming experienced based on GPS. Players would find themselves embarking on a racing adventure set in a parallel universe while exploring the natural landscapes in their own cities. This exploration of previously unexplored areas would drive the linear progression system of the game, meaning if you wanted to progress the story, you'd have to actually stop playing the game and instead go for a hike. Once your hike is complete and you're back home on a stable connection, that GPS information telling you where you have been grants you the corresponding unlocks: new tracks, new scenery, new story chapter and mission, a few cheeky upgrades, and maybe some new characters and customization options. Thus pushing your gaming experience outside of the digital world. It was this sort of "addictive gaming" (for lack of a better word) that I wanted to play into, allowing people like myself to turn our weird little fantasies and pastimes into something more healthy and productive.
WORLD BUILDING.
As previously mentioned the game world takes place in a micro-parallel universe. So the exact same planet Earth (correlating to the players location and adventures), just with a bunch of fantastic little critters that roam this magical universe instead of humans destroying it. Now, when I say I got a little bit too into this world building stage, I sure do mean it. I wrote a whole book essentially outlining the 8 different communities of these creatures, each corresponding with different elements of our natural world. I came up with philosophies, fears, ambitions and histories for each. Architecture and design philosophies, so that when you were playing you would believe that these creatures are good and you should care about them. Not only that but I also created a story where all of these communities are interacting with one another and each have unique value to the player. And the story gets insane! We have 'Wishlings' finding out about humans and completely shattering the 4th wall. We have a journey to space, monumental blunders, and a heartbreaking revelation about a certain sub-group of Wishling never getting to explore what they have always wanted to. Without spoiling too much, this world and story reflects how I feel about our modern world, what we can do better, what we can learn, the things out of our control, and most importantly what I wish it could be.
DESIGN OUTPUTS.
Trailer.
Character Design.
Track Creation.
UI.
App and Gameplay Showcase.
Poster
