Belonging: A Visual Novel
The Project
Belonging was a game developed during a sprint week—a fast-paced, five-day development period in which my team and I were challenged to conceptualize, design, and build a fully playable game based on a given theme. The prompt for the sprint was “Mystery in a Magical World”, which served as the foundation for our creative direction. After a collaborative brainstorming session, we agreed to develop a narrative-driven Whodunnit mystery set within a fantasy world inspired by the lore and structure of Dungeons & Dragons.
The goal was to merge classic murder mystery storytelling with the rich, immersive atmosphere of a magical setting. This meant designing a world where arcane elements were not just background flavor but integrated into the mystery itself—where spells could be used as clues, magical creatures could serve as witnesses, and ancient grudges might provide motive. Our team worked in a tightly coordinated effort, with clearly divided roles in writing, design, art, and development to meet the sprint’s strict deadline. The result was a game that challenged players to uncover hidden truths by exploring character interactions, magical environments, and subtle narrative cues—all within a compact and engaging experience.
My Role
As Lead Narrative Designer, I was responsible for crafting the game’s story, characters, and dialogue within a five-day sprint. I developed a mystery narrative set in a fantasy world, creating a central plot and a cast of characters—each with unique motives and secrets—to drive the story forward. Working under tight time constraints, I wrote interconnected backstories and dialogue that blended character development with subtle clues. I also collaborated with the design team to ensure the narrative integrated smoothly with gameplay, resulting in a story that encouraged exploration, deduction, and emotional engagement.
The Plot
My primary responsibility on the project was to design the narrative framework that supports the game's central mystery. This included crafting a compelling story, developing a rich cast of characters, and shaping the overall tone and progression of the plot—all within the established boundaries of the fantasy genre. I designed each character with distinct personalities, motivations, and hidden agendas to ensure that they contributed meaningfully to the mystery and the world at large. Special care was taken to interweave personal backstories and inter-family relationships into the narrative to enhance the sense of intrigue and emotional stakes.
The overarching plot drew heavy inspiration from classic mystery television shows, a genre I am personally passionate about. I aimed to capture the slow-burn unraveling of truth, the subtle layering of clues, and the morally complex revelations that make the genre so compelling. In this fantasy setting, the player assumes the role of a sleuthing citizen—an outsider trying to navigate a complex web of alliances, feuds, and secrets among powerful families. The narrative was carefully constructed to encourage investigation, critical thinking, and interpretation of character behavior, allowing the player to feel like an active participant in solving the mystery rather than a passive observer. Balancing the fantastical elements with grounded, human motivations was key to making the story both immersive and emotionally resonant.
Dialogue
To bring the project to life, I developed a branching dialogue system that supports player choice and narrative depth. For each major encounter between the player and the game’s characters, I constructed a comprehensive dialogue tree that branches into three distinct routes: Friendly, Aggressive, and Passive. Each path allows the player to approach conversations with different tones and intentions, significantly influencing the information they uncover. These dialogue routes are not only tools for player expression but are also carefully designed to reveal different layers of the game's characters and overarching plotlines. For instance, certain truths or secrets are only accessible through specific conversational approaches, encouraging replayability and careful consideration of dialogue choices. Through these interactions, players gradually uncover the true sentiments and hidden tensions between the game's families. The initial dialogues between family members subtly hint at longstanding rivalries, alliances, and grudges. As in a classic detective story, the player must carefully observe these social dynamics, piecing together motivations and histories to navigate the world more effectively and unlock deeper narrative threads.