Whispered Bonds
Narrative Design • Interactive Storytelling • Unity
Project Overview
This project explores the narrative and sensemaking of immersive environments. The initial task was to employ traditional Western storytelling structures and immersive design techniques to convey a linear story. Building upon this foundation, the goal was to maintain a coherent story experience while giving users agency.
Inspired by personal experiences, I developed a heartwarming story from a dog's perspective in Unity. The narrative follows a dog's adventures and its return home, ultimately revealing the dog's passing and the deep bond with its owner. All assets were sourced from the internet.
Type
Uni Personal Project
Year
2023
Duration
8 weeks
Tools
Unity, Miro
Development Production Process
Character 1: Cooper (a dog)
User’s perspective.
A friendly and intelligent Golden Retriever. Cooper’s journey centers around exploring the familiar surroundings of his former home. He can observe his past life and encounter his beloved owner. In the end, his finds solace and departs with contentment.
Character 2: Cooper’s Owner
A devoted dog / pet / animal enthusiast, embodies a nurturing and empathetic soul.
Trigger / Event Systems
Story foundation structure
1. [Exposition] Behold, a butterfly fluttering rhythmically before your eyes, you’re drawn in, following its dance through the air.
2. [Exposition] You continue onwards, ultimately, you pause at the sight of a puddle ahead.
3. [Exposition] – Reveal that you are a dog - As you peer into the puddle, a reflection gaze back. To your surprise, you discover you are an adorable dog.
4. [Rise] Moving forward, your cheerful trot pauses in front of a known abode.
5. [Rise] You are exploring the yard and there are lots of beloved toys.
6. [Rise] Stepping into the house, you’re greeted by a familiar sight of favourite toys, your cozy [Rise] bed, your feeding corner and so on
7. [Rise] Suddenly, the clock strikes, signalling your owner’s return from work. Eagerly, you move to the door to wait.
8. [Rise] Your owner steps in. However, your owner seemingly doesn’t notice you, walking past to recline on the couch.
9. [Rise] After a while, her go to your food corner, your tail wags excitedly. It’s your dinner time!
10. [Climax] Yet, you owner instead kneels by the food bowl, clutching her head and sobbing uncontrollably.
11. [Climax] You rush over, attempting to comfort her, but to your astonishment, you pass through her body and can’t tough her, you come to realize, understanding it all.
12. [Resolution] He senses something and he hugs you, this is the most beautiful moment and such a sublime finale to your journey.
Narrative State Network
Linear Story (Version1)
The sequence of events that I crafted is linearly deterministic, meaning the story remains the same regardless of how many times it is experienced or who is experiencing it. You will experience a linear story.In the end, his finds solace and departs with contentment.
Click and skip to play
User Agency (Version2)
In contrast, players will have agency, making it a non-linear narrative experience where users or participants can influence the outcome. Through multiple attempts, they can explore different aspects of the story.
