I Remember

Artist Statement

I Remember is a game intended to represent the perspective of a child in moments prior to the separation of his family.

The brief provided for this project demanded an inclusion of trust as a major theme that drives the player experience. The original concept had the player take on the role of the parent who had to manage their time on a daily basis to maintain a balance between adult responsibilities and building trust with a child however the concept shifted to explore the concept of trust in adult relationships contrasted with the perspective of child-like trust even in the midst of seemingly obvious circumstances.

As well as a core theme, multiple sources of visual and auditory stimulus were provided to be used as core inspirations for the game's mechanics and overall context. Still Life Reviving by Remedios varo inspired game setting of family life in a home. The artwork depicts a table with fruit orbiting above it which resembles the orbit of planets in a solar system this was interpreted as metaphor that the table, a symbol of mealtime and family unity can be a person's universe. In addition the tablecloth and plates are influenced by the chaos above, which led us to the game's narrative in terms of the complications between the parents and their eventual separation.

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto 2, 2nd Movement was used as the basis for the level design flow as well as influencing changes in visual and audio aesthetics. In our analysis of the converter we identified 3 core sections in terms of the musical development and complexity. The first section of the piece is gentle, soothing and has clear definitions of the melodies while remaining quite simple. As the piece builds, counter melodies are introduced as well as extra voices such as the strings which start to add a more eery tone to the originally whimsical intro. As the piece reaches its climax, the intensity of the piano rises as well as the complexity of the core melody and the accompanying instruments creating a dramatic atmosphere which cuts abruptly to the final piano run which is akin to a cry of despair.

The games flow was intended to be similarly modelled to this interpretation of Rachmaninov's concerto. Early on the game is meant to like you are in a loving home, which is reinforced by the jovial background music. As narrative starts to reveal itself and the functionality of the doors act abnormally the music shifts to represent the added complexity and hint of darker themes that were found in the middle of the concerto. Immediately prior to the game's conclusion and the confirmation of the earlier hints, the game's audio cuts to emphasize the delivery of the final dialog and internalisation.

Contributors

Designers

- Ash Stevens

- Dineth Dissanayake

Programmers

- Rohan Cruickshank

- Ben Welsh

Animators

- Kate Lulham