Aphotic Descent
YEAR
2023
GENRE
Horror, Adventure, Exploration
GAME ENGINE
Unity
PLATFORM
Steam
TEAM
Broiled Squid Studios
CONTRIBUTIONS
Narrative Development, Leadership, 3D Art, Mechanics Design, Level Design, Music Composition, Voice Acting, Voice Direction, Sound Design
Overview of Contributions and Experience
Crafting the Story: I had the honor of leading the narrative team, developing the game’s setting and ecosystem to bring our lead artist and visionary, Sara Rootsey’s (@GayBowzer on Instagram), concepts to life.
Creating the Soundscape: As Lead Musician, I composed the game’s soundtrack, contributed voice acting and sound design, and directed performances to ensure the characters’ voices aligned with the story’s intent.
Tech Design: On the game design side, I took on the challenge of developing gameplay mechanics, designing levels.
Narrative Design
I became Narrative Lead after winning an internal writing contest with my story pitch, which shaped the game’s narrative. I recruited and managed the team, tracked tasks on ClickUp, and coordinated with the Director and Producer. To build story cohesion within the team, I organized movie nights for the films that inspired the project, films like The Abyss and the Alien franchise (one of my favorites).
Game Design
I played a key role in shaping gameplay mechanics, enemy designs, and level layout. I worked closely with the Creative Director and Design Lead on playtesting, technical design, and puzzle development to make sure the game was challenging and engaging.
Key Contributions:
Initial Design Concepts: Developed early gameplay mechanics and enemy designs, including the electric eel and final boss, the anglerfish.
Multi-tool Flashlight/Blacklight: Designed the multi-tool flashlight/blacklight mechanic, letting players interact with the environment and enemies with the same toolset.
Invis Suit: Created the invisibility suit, inspired by the Octo Camo from MGS4, allowing players to blend into their surroundings and avoid detection.
Lab Concept: Worked with the Creative Director and narrative team to design the lab, focusing on level and puzzle design to tie the gameplay and narrative together.
Final Level Guide: Helped finalize the level guide, structuring the game’s levels with some adjustments for pacing.
Aphotic Descent GDD: Co-wrote the Game Design Document with the Creative Director, covering both narrative and design elements.
3D Art
Contributions: Modeling, Rigging, Animation, Procedural Animation, Material and UV Editing, Implementation
NOTE: I did not handle texturing.
Tools: Blender, Unity, Substance Painter,
Password: 3D
Audio Design/Direction
Narrator Voice: I voiced all the cutscenes in Aphotic Descent, from storyboard to final version, including the trailer.
Monster Voices: I voiced two boss monsters, each with a unique sound to match the game’s atmosphere.
Voice Direction: I directed the voice cast, especially focusing on the main villain, Catalina, to get the right mix of intensity and depth.
SFX Production: I worked with the lead designer to create and fine-tune sound effects, ensuring they fit seamlessly into the game’s environments.
The Soundtrack
I'm thrilled to share that my track "Ocean Vibes" has hit over 100k+ listens on Spotify!
During the project, I taught myself basic music theory and used a combination of Vital Synthesizer and Reaper to craft the soundtrack. The process involved experimenting with sound design, layering, and mixing. If you have a moment, I’d love for you to give it a listen!
