Mobile Game App: Wizards & Wagons
BACKGROUND
During a brainstorming session at the studio with the team, we came up with a premise for a game narrative, which is equivalent to shaping a defined problem statement to challenge ourselves with:
"The Demon Lord has been defeated, and peace has returned to the realm -- but this means that the resident Hero is officially out of a job. Armed with a small wagon, can you make a living in this new era? In Wizards & Wagons, you’ll buy, barter, trade and sell goods in a vast fantasy world filled with villages, towns, kingdoms, and comical characters always ready to send you on the most ludicrous errands!"
This is how the basis of Wizards & Wagons, a fantasy trading adventure game, is formed through a narrative synopsis.
THE CHALLENGE
In an app marketplace saturated with millions of various game products, the modern gamer is spoilt for choice. As an independent studio, we share in the same belief that we ought to strive for every game / entertainment we make to have the innovative, unique factor. The questions I asked within are, will every factor we allow into the game build it up to become a unique offering for our players? Will it add value to their experience, instead of grinding it away at meaningless choices?
MY KEY ROLES
Lead in idea generation for the design of the game play
Creative concept and art direction of the game
User interface design and interactions
Marketing collateral design (i.e. posters, video trailers, banners)
2D graphic asset production
The splash screen design which introduces Wizards & Wagons. The concept illustrates the player's role as a fantasy era merchant, transporting his wares in a mechanical wagon, peddling his goods from town to town and fending off bandits along the way.
THE DESIGN
A method in design thinking is to apply the SCAMPER model (in my context, the Combine aspect). With the narrative, we saw the opportunity to create a mash-up of commence, combat and adventure in a fantasy life simulation.
As demonstrated In the screenshots below, we borrowed an idea from Tetris, to adapt it as a cargo-loading game mechanic in a top-down view of the player's wagon. This mechanism is designed so that the player has to make informed choices on what to procure, sell and maximize his profit margin. Cargo inventory space is limited. Pricing has to be considered. Supply and demand in each town differs.
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When designing any form of system, I make it a point for the player to be given meaningful choices to make.
I used the idea of a shop where the player is greeted by an enigmatic shopkeeper. At the shop, the player can explore the wares to buy and try loading up his wagon. Also, it is a dangerous world out there, so he has to consider loading up weaponry for safety!
Screenshots of combat. Once the player has loaded his wagon with goods, he needs to travel out town to sell. He is likely to be assaulted by marauders along the way.
As the player can only travel from one town to the next at one go (and not bypass other towns), introduce a bit of button mashing to liven the combat.
THE COMBAT
To ignite the emotional response of adventure within the player, we designed the game world to appear vast, spanning 5 islands with over 20 towns of unique thematic flavor. A lot of design work was done, which I relished the challenge to deliver. My part was to design and curate the look and feel of each detail of the experience, and how every visual response should be reflected on screen.
The World (Left picture: Overlay of travel routes and how towns are connected).
Close-up of towns on the World map. The information helps players identify what is available at a town (after he visits it once). There is News button allowing the player to know what is happening in the fantasy business world.
I designed each town to have its own thematic flavor to encourage the player to explore the world and discover new opportunities for profit.
The blacksmith can upgrade and repair your wagon.
Screenshots of the other user interfaces I designed.
1. Wagon design 2. Architecture design (Fantasy)
THE RESULTS
Many like the quirky vibe of the game and the enriching trading adventure experience from the mash-up of game genres.
“I was not surprised to find dynamic gameplay and an addictive quality that has put some extra rings under my eyes for the last several days from lack of sleep.”
- Andrew Fretz, Touch Arcade
“Wizards and Wagons successfully blends a number of genres to make for an unforgettable trading adventure.”
- 148Apps
“Wizards and Wagons is a solid, deep trade simulation with an immense durability.”
- ByteSin
“Wizards & Wagons is an intriguing blend of genres that offers you the exploration of an RPG, the battling of a tower defence, and the tilemanaging goodness of Tetris.”
- PocketGamer
