As we moved from pre-production into early development, our focus shifted toward implementing key systems and creating a solid foundation for our gameplay experience.  There were some roadblocks here and there but we still managed to pull through well enough.

Bringing Dialogue to Life

To enhance player immersion and storytelling, I integrated the Dialogue System for Unity into our project. This allows us to implement basic dialogues, giving NPCs more personality and making interactions meaningful. With this system in place, we can experiment with different tones and character voices, with text effects to ensure that conversations feel natural and engaging.

Fig 2.

Juicy Game Feel & Dynamic Audio

Another major step forward was incorporating Feel, a feedback system that adds polish and responsiveness to the gameplay. I took this a step further by integrating Feel’s audio system into our own, enabling a more dynamic audio experience. Now, sound effects and feedback adjust based on in-game actions, making interactions feel richer and more immersive.

Fig 3.

Feel allows for adding different kinds of feedback quite easily while allowing a lot of control over the effect.

Sound effects like fading, panning controlling pitch, and volume can be used to create dynamic audio.

Building Playtest-Ready Puzzles

To test our mechanics in action, I designed and implemented several simple puzzles for our first playtest. These puzzles serve as a starting point to fine-tune difficulty, pacing, and engagement. Early tests will help us identify what works, what needs tweaking, and how players naturally interact with our mechanics and help us find the fun of our game.

Designing the Village & World Layout

One of the core locations in our game is the village, where players can interact with NPCs, explore, and engage in dialogue-based storytelling. I am working on shaping this area to test how our dialogue system fits within the world. The village serves as a space to experiment with character tone and personality, ensuring they feel distinct and engaging.

To guide level design, I also contributed to visualizing our first area map. Having a clear layout helps ensure that the level flows well, providing a roadmap for how players navigate and experience the world.

Fig 1.