Urban Explorers is an adventure game in which you command a group of three explorers from a RTS-esque point of view through abandoned architecture, searching for hidden secrets.

Background

Created during a module during the BA Game Design, the task was to inspect old video games of the 80s and 90s and borrow mechanics from them, then turning them into a new game idea. Inspirations were mainly Pitfall! for the Atari 2600 and The Elder Scrolls: Arena for their adventure-themed settings. The RTS-style point of view was loosely inspired by Archon: of Light and Dark and more modern RTS games.

Gameplay Video

An open world game in a hostile environment

The core idea for this game project started one year prior, where I came up with the idea for a custom post processing shader for Unity. It included an effect that would desaturate the entire world while preserving the color in certain areas of the world, controlled by placing point sources in the scene.

Once this was done, I started asking myself:

What if this unusual effect became part of an actual game project?

Concept

Due to personal interest and search for a new learning experience I decided to create an open world game, in which the player's goal is to return color to the grayed out environment. The colors were separated from the environment and turned into crystalline shapes.

World Building

The cause for this unusual phenomenon is a mysterious force (called "Corruption") that is spreading throughout the world, consuming it gradually. If not contained, the condition worsens and proceeds to consume all light in the area, leaving it completely black and making it inaccessible to the player.

Located in the center of the map lies the wizard's tower, which will become the main hub for the majority of the game. Here, players can set up their home base and perform most of their tasks, including crafting items and performing research. On top of the tower is an observatory that gives them an overview of the situation of the environment.

Crafting

Through crafting, the player can combine the collected crystals into more powerful elements, each having unique properties and uses. Crystals can be combined to form higher tier crystals, as shown in the element chart.

Player Analysis

As part of the first four weeks of the project, I wrote a simple script which automatically recorded the player's interactions and their path through the level. A subsequent analysis of the playthroughs from the exhibition shows that the game's objectives were not communicated clearly enough and players often didn't know where to go.