Release: TBA
Platform: Console, PC
Role/Responsibilities: Project Lead / Art Direction, Game Design, Engineering
Platform: Console, PC
Role/Responsibilities: Project Lead / Art Direction, Game Design, Engineering
Game Description
Bushi is a minimalist puzzle platformer set in feudal Japan and explores themes of loyalty, soldiership, revenge and suicide. The game is developed in Unity/C# with intended release for console and PC.
In addition to raising public awareness and opening doors for conversations around mental health and suicide, Bushi looks to directly support mental health and reintegration resources for soldiers by establishing a recurring donation to the Wounded Warrior Project via a direct revenue share of annual game sales.
Game Design
Bushi looks to examine the role of the soldier/warrior as it relates to society, particularly around the demands we make of our soldiers, the long term effects of these demands on mental and emotional health, and the challenges presented in conditioning soldiers for the purpose of war being at odds with the purpose of war itself (peace).
The player assumes the role of the little warrior, Bushi, as they explore the world searching for purpose and finding both light and darkness, friendship and tragedy, along the way.
The gameplay embraces the simple joy of navigation with a twist. The level design aims to tickle the player's sense of discovery via the implicit question, "can you get here?" with flexible mechanics that allow for both brute force approaches and clever solutions.
Art Direction
Bushi uses a unique, triangle-based spriting template to mimic a pixel art aesthetic while also differentiating itself from the traditional style. Each sprite adheres to a particular set of rules, bending and breaking them for effect when appropriate.
Bushi's facial expressions achieve remarkably varied emotion within a minimalist style.
A man sits in the rain atop a log. Sprite template outlines included for clarity.
Conflict arises at "The Shrine of the Ronin"