Hugo's Number (Playable Demo/Proof of Concept)
CONTROLS: Left click on the phone to answer it. Left click to advance dialogue. Select dialogue options with the number keys (1 or 2).
A short video game/interactive screenplay developed over the course of two weeks as a capstone project for my undergraduate in creative writing at Western Washington University.
You are Dr. Hugo, a retired professor of metaphysics with a speciality in all things supernatural. In your retirement, you’ve taken up a position as a late night radio host, where you answer questions from callers seeking urgent advice regarding cryptic, esoteric situations they’ve found themselves in. The game plays like an interactive script, where you select responses that influence the direction of the narrative. You pick up the phone and listen to each caller’s story, and then provide a solution to the problem they’re experiencing. To generate the conversation, the game draws on a series of pre-written components that are randomly selected and paired together.
The progression of each mini-scene is based on the principles outlined in Chapter 8 of Cut to the Chase by Linda Venis, in which Dan Vining gives advice on scene structure in scriptwriting. Specifically, it’s based on the “Who, What, When, Where, Why” framework he provides. The conversation always opens with the patient identifying themselves and their connection to Dr. Hugo (who). Next, they describe the setting they’re calling from (where). Then, they describe the problem they’re experiencing (why). Finally, Dr Hugo provides a solution to the problem (what). Each of these events are randomly generated independently of each other, meaning one part has no bearing on the other. Players are left to draw their own connections between the disparate elements of each scene, like a Rorsach test, or a story-collage.
All writing, visuals, programming, music, and sound is original. Graphics were created with a combination of analog and digital collage techniques. This game is in a "proof of concept" stage of development; the final version of the game will have more content, visual and mechanical polish, and in-game instructions.
Video Demonstration & Oral Reflection:
