Vestige is a 3D third person exploration and adventure narrative game made in collaboration with Drew Shapiro and Tyler Zhang. You play as an alien archivist, tasked with exploring a dying planet and retrieving its relics in order to preserve its memory. This six week project was created in Unity using C#, Autodesk Maya, Inky, and assets from the Unity Assets Store. The game is a 20 minute experience with text based interactivity, inventory strategy, and car mobility mechanics. My contribution includes: dialogue, narrative mechanics, environments/levels, and character art.

You can play the game here:

https://organzola.itch.io/vestige

Game Play Mechanics

gif of narrative-based vehicle traversal game vestige. player drives a vehicle in third person over a vast and scenic expanse of a post humanity earth comprised of submerged islands and new flora

Driving/Vehicle Movement Mechanics

gif of narrative-based vehicle traversal game vestige. player drives a vehicle in third person. player has the vehicle dash and glide over rough and high terrain in a vast and scenic expanse of a post humanity earth comprised of submerged islands and new flora

Dashing and Gliding

gif of narrative-based vehicle traversal game vestige. 2d sprite dialogue between two characters along with animations for each time they speak plays. in the background is a spaceship, space, the characters are wearing space suits.

Dialogue Interaction

gif of narrative-based vehicle traversal game vestige. the player manages the items they pick up by fitting it into a uniquely spaced inventory where items are certain shapes that can fit within the grids of the inventory UI box

Inventory Management


Level Design

Map Overview

overview image of the entire map of narrative-based vehicle and exploration game vestige. all five islands can be seen with different themes and biomes such as icy arctic, dry dessert, plains, damp swampy mushrooms, rocky expanse. the islands are surrounded by vast sea

Overview of the entire map

The map is made up of five major islands that the player can explore. The path to traversing to the islands is rather linear, as the requirement to beating the game is to collect 3 ship parts, each spread out in a way that makes the player have to visit each island. Each island’s terrain is different so as to hone in on the sense of exploration and adventure. The flow of the game is intended for the player to go from Island One to every other island consecutively, with the ship parts at Island Three allowing for travel to the fourth island. The player ultimately ends up back at the starting point as the final ship part (as marked with the circle) leads them back. The placement and sizes of the island were made in mind with the player being able to see the silhouettes of potential interest and travel from the starting island.

Island One

overview image of island one of narrative-based vehicle and exploration game vestige. this green flat plain island with branch-like trees is the starting point for the player and houses the statue of liberty as a relic lost to time

Overview of island one

The first island is the one the player lands in. As they walk away from their ship wreckage and are explained narratively via UI elements the situation, they will find an artifact and their vehicle immediately. This introduces the player to collecting items, the inventory management, and how to control the car. As the player nears the edge of the hill, they will see the Statue of Liberty and Island Two and Three in the distance. The Statue of Liberty and the first artifact reveal to the player that the game takes place on Earth, though many centuries after humanity. The terrain on this island is relatively smooth and allows for the player to practice using the newly introduced car controls safely.

Island Two

overview image of island two of narrative-based vehicle and exploration game vestige. this relatively flat with hilly elevated areas is populated with unnaturally colorful mushrooms of various sizes from small to gigantic. this island is connected to two other islands through possible pathways

Overview of island two

The second island is a transitional island, it allows the player to traverse to both the third and fourth island, and has a couple collectible artifacts scattered about as well. The arrow to the right leads to the third island, and requires the player to dash across broken land mass, once there, the player will unlock the jumping mechanic — which allows the player to go back to the second island and travel up the hills. The arrow pointing up leads the player to unlock the gliding mechanic, and glide over to the fourth island.

Island Three

overview image of island three of narrative-based vehicle and exploration game vestige. this rocky and narrow mountainous area is populated by red vines and rock structures. part of the eiffel tower is submerged in its center. an important piece of the ship required to complete the game is also at this island

Overview of island three

The third island’s terrain has more opportunity for the player to use their newly obtained jump mechanic, as they follow the arrow to under the landmark of interest — part of the Eiffel Tower. This terrain is rocky and requires lots of vertical jumps to explore and seek out artifacts. When the player collects the jump upgrade/ship part, they are prompted narratively via UI to look elsewhere for the next ship part. So while the game’s pathing is linear, the pace and the player’s choices when deciding which artifacts to seek out and keep with their limited inventory are not so linear.

Island Four

overview image of island four of narrative-based vehicle and exploration game vestige. this area comprises of large ice island pieces that the player must jump and dash through. there are lots of gaps and the ground is slippery.

Overview of island four

The fourth island's terrain is noticeably harder than the rest of the map, as it is the culmination of both ship upgrades — jump and glide. The environment requires the player to use both to navigate and explore. There are ice-like structures that serve as ramps for the player to use in their vehicle. Once they reach the end, there is another long gliding sequence so they can enjoy seeing the next island (Island Five) from above as the player did originally to get to the fourth island.

Island Five

overview image of island five of narrative-based vehicle and exploration game vestige. this area is first a dessert dune with a pyramid and many cacti. the player must get past the dune and up the grassy mountainous hill over the arch to the original island

Overview of island five

The last island serves as a cooldown environment and offers some final artifacts for the player to decide on picking up to replace items in their inventory, or to leave them. The environment itself is not very challenging, and allows for the player to joyride across the dunes and up the mountain for a considerable amount of introspective time as the player makes their way to the final ship part needed to complete the game.