The Prismia
A puzzle game for kids & adult
A journey between the real world and utopia
My Role
Game Designer
Team Leader
Programmer
Team
Aaron Wang
Uliana Sado(Modelling)
Tim Sang(Animation)
Tags
Game Project
CG Programming
Interactive Media Design
Associated with UCL
Project Overview
Research
The development of Prismia was guided by extensive research into children's games, interactive narratives, and environmental storytelling. We explored various design theories, interactive mechanics, and game production methodologies to craft an immersive and educational experience.
Utopian Exploration: The World Within the Crystal Ball
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The central theme of Prismia revolves around the idea of escaping reality into a utopian world encapsulated within a magical crystal ball. Inspired by utopian philosophy, the game explores:
Utopia vs. Reality
The game contrasts a serene, nature-filled utopia with the constraints of real life. This duality invites players to question whether a perfect world can truly exist or if challenges are necessary for personal growth.
Symbolism of the Crystal Ball
The crystal ball serves as a metaphor for memory, hope, and imagination. It symbolizes a contained utopia where everything seems idyllic but from which the protagonist must ultimately escape, reflecting on the balance between fantasy and reality.
Research on Children's Games and Education
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Drawing from reader-response theory, Prismia allows players to interpret the game’s meaning based on their unique perspectives.The game not only fit kids, but also adults.
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Educational Goals
The game integrates learning through exploration, problem-solving, and environmental storytelling. Each season-themed level presents natural puzzles that subtly teach children about nature, sustainability, and cooperation.
Child Development Principles
Research into cognitive development informed the game’s simple, intuitive mechanics. Point-and-click interactions allow children to engage with puzzles while fostering logical thinking, memory retention, and environmental awareness.
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Narrative-Driven Learning
The storyline immerses children in a journey of self-discovery and problem-solving. By transforming an adult into a child within the game, Prismia creates an experience where players learn empathy and adaptability through the protagonist’s adventures.
Design
The design of Prismia is rooted in creating an immersive, meaningful, and educational experience through interactive storytelling, intuitive gameplay, and vibrant aesthetics. The game’s design focuses on fostering creativity, environmental awareness, and personal reflection for players of all ages.
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Core Design Principles
Player-Centered Experience
Every design decision was made with the player in mind. From intuitive point-and-click mechanics to visually engaging environments, Prismia ensures accessibility and immersion for children while maintaining thematic depth for adults.
Environmental Storytelling
Each seasonal level in Prismia uses environmental elements to drive the story. Players solve puzzles tied to nature, promoting eco-awareness while encouraging logical thinking through immersive gameplay.
Narrative-Driven Progression
The game’s storyline follows an adult transformed into a child in a magical crystal ball world. This journey through seasons encourages personal growth, emphasizing environmental conservation and imaginative exploration.
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Game Mechanics Design
From a game design perspective, Prismia's interaction system ensures accessibility and immersion. UI buttons dynamically appear near interactable items, guiding players without overwhelming them. The mouse controls—left-click for interaction, right-click for rotation, and the scroll wheel for zooming—are simple and intuitive, aligning with the game's point-and-click mechanics while enhancing the player's sense of control and engagement within the crystal ball world.
From a game design perspective, Prismia centers on puzzle-solving within a crystal ball world divided into four seasonal scenes. Players collect stars through narrative-driven linear levels, designed to evoke emotion and immersion. Tailored for children aged 5-8, with adult appeal, the point-and-click mechanics ensure accessibility and engagement.
UI Button Pops Up When Character Get Close to Intractable Item
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Prismia features four seasonal levels: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
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Each level offers unique puzzles, such as watering flowers, fishing, and setting off fireworks.
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Players collect stars through tasks to unlock the final surprise.
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Emotional progression follows:
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Spring: Excitement
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Summer: Calmness
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Autumn: Peacefulness
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Winter: Peaks with joy and excitement
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The journey creates a dynamic and immersive gameplay experience.
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Level Design
The design of Prismia's crystal ball world introduced a unique challenge: creating terrain-based levels on a spherical surface. This unconventional approach required innovative thinking to balance gameplay mechanics, visual aesthetics, and technical feasibility. The spherical design not only symbolizes the magical crystal ball but also provides a unified yet segmented environment where the four seasons coexist.
Terrain Sketch
Terrain with Materials
Ball with Interactive Items
Finalized Crystal Ball
The initial concept for the game's spherical terrain design, featuring natural elements like lakes, rivers, grasslands, and snow. These elements represent the four seasons and their unique environments.
The terrain is enhanced with materials and textures to visually represent the seasonal themes—Spring (green grass), Summer (blue waters), Autumn (golden hues), and Winter (white snow).
Interactive objects are added to the environment, including bridges, boats, and an air balloon. These elements enable players to navigate the world, solve puzzles, and progress through the game.
The completed design of the crystal ball world, showcasing all seasonal levels integrated into a cohesive and immersive experience. The "Home" location symbolizes the player's ultimate goal to return to reality.
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Camera View Design
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Prismia's camera view design emphasizes immersion and intuitive player experience.
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First-person and third-person perspectives were discarded for disrupting the "inside the crystal ball" feeling.
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Top-down view was rejected for revealing all levels at once, reducing the sense of discovery.
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Horizontal view was chosen for its ability to:
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Allow players to rotate the crystal ball and zoom in/out.
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Enhance environmental understanding.
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Mimic real-world crystal ball interaction, fostering engagement and immersion.
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System and UI Design
The UI and system design in Prismia ensures intuitive gameplay and accessibility. The HUD tracks player progress by reflecting collected stars and keys, while the Tutorial Mode System provides guidance through task tracking and automatic updates. The Settings System allows customization, including sound adjustments and game pausing. Button UI elements dynamically activate based on progress, enhancing interaction and clarity for players.
HUD
Tutorial Mode System
Button UI
Settings System
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Sound Design
The sound design in Prismia creates an immersive experience by assigning distinct ambient sounds to each seasonal scene. When players transition between areas, overlapping zones blend sounds smoothly, ensuring seamless audio transitions that enhance the immersive atmosphere of the crystal ball world.
Production
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Prismia integrates shader programming for water, grass, and snow effects.
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Core scripts and interaction triggers manage gameplay mechanics.
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Intuitive UI systems enhance accessibility and player interaction.
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Dynamic VFX, lighting, and animations create an engaging experience.
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Scene control and world-building ensure a cohesive and immersive environment.
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Unity AI Navigation Algorithm
The game uses Unity AI Navigator to complete the control of the character's accessible range.
The game's AI Navigation system is implemented by two main scripts:
1. Point-And-ClickController(Calculate Input)
2. Navigation Algorithm(Calculate Path)
The following diagram breaks down the Navigation Algorithm.
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Shader Programming
This visual demonstrates the development process for the custom shaders in Prismia. The Water Shader uses pixel depth and surface properties to create realistic reflections, ripples, and transparency based on depth. The Grass Shader employs geometry and fragment shaders to simulate wind and trampling effects, generating dynamic and interactive grass blades. The Snow Shader uses tessellation and lighting calculations to create detailed, realistic snow surfaces with depth and lighting effects. Each shader enhances the game's visual immersion and environmental interactivity.
Iteration
Alpha Test
Research into cognitive development informed the game’s simple, intuitive mechanics. Point-and-click interactions allow children to engage with puzzles while fostering logical thinking, memory retention, and environmental awareness.
Releasement
The Releasement phase marked the final polishing and public launch of Prismia. After addressing all critical issues from the Beta Test, the game was optimized for performance and tested for stability across different platforms
Beta Test
In the Beta Test phase, Prismia was tested by a broader audience, including players unfamiliar with the development process. Key issues were identified and resolved, such as UI visibility, tutorial clarity, and interaction responsiveness. Based on player input, additional features, like the tutorial mode and enhanced visual effects, were implemented.
Image Gallery
