Making TESSELATE - Part 4

04// Wheel

Midterm Defense was upon us.

Our approach to TESSELATE was to present a new genre of art an music to people unfamiliar. Our "thesis" was the attempt to make that
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VINNY

Videogames are software that weave together art and programming to present an interactive experience. When a director explores a scene in a movie, our experience of it ends when he says “Cut!”. In a game, the player is given the power of choice. Some games present a linear story, with diverging paths based on player decisions; while other games incorporate an “open-world” design, where the player can pursue objectives at their leisure. It’s this sense of control over the events of the story that separate games from all other media. It’s the interactivity. Actions are rewarded, mistakes are punished. Collect these coins, don’t touch the spikes.

Games offer a shift in perspective that cannot be achieved in other forms of media. In games, we extend our reach, broaden our perspective; we place ourselves in the shoes of another person. This is one of the most important uses of videogames as a medium. To progress in a game, we must assume the role of the character we control. We see things through their eyes, we traverse the world with their body. In a sense, we are the characters. We learn their lessons.

ERICKSON

What if you were lost in space? What would you see? What things will you run into? TESSELATE(slide - 2) is a game about deep space. You are the Explorer and your ship has crashed on a strange world. Traverse the alien landscape! Solve puzzles! Uncover hidden secrets!

Set on an alien planet(slide-3), TESSELATE is a first-person puzzler. Inspired by games like Myst(slide-4), Portal(slide-5), Fez(slide-6), Dark Souls(slide-7), and Spyro, the Dragon(slide-8); the game incorporates elements of platforming, object collection, puzzles, and enigmatic lore. Players are put on a psychedelic journey through space and time. Graphics and art style heavily inspired by the “vaporwave” genre.

So what exactly is vaporwave(slide-9)? Basically, it’s a genre of art(slide-10); vaporwave gained popularity in the early 2010s(slide-11), characterized by a “nostalgic fascination(slide-12) with retro cultural aesthetics, commercial artifacts(slide-13), and technology.” Vaporwave is also satirical in nature, often incorporating in-jokes and memes(slide-14) into it’s already remixed aesthetic.

Vapor art incorporates many elements of old computer graphics(slide-15), sometimes using old Windows desktops as a background. Vapor art targets nostalgia, taking references from pop culture and remixing them in a brand new way(slide-16).

Vaporwave music incorporates samples taken from 80s jazz, Japanese commercials, and videogame sound effects. All of those things mixed together produce a unique soundscape(slide-17). Soothing, trance-like, computer generated elevator music. Vaporwave as a genre heavily influences the design of our game(slide-18).

SOYA

TESSELATE is an art-reliant game(slide-19). To achieve the vaporwave look, we went through many different designs. We want to present to the player an “epic” game. A game where you see things that you cannot see in real life.

You are in an alien world, things are not as they seem. Vaporwave provides us with lots of inspiration: low poly mountains, simple color schemes. Vapor art is minimal in nature. Intense study of retro-style computer graphics effects helps us pin down the vaporwave aesthetic. Recreating elements of this can be achieved through simple 3D modeling and programming.

Development of the aesthetic is one of our main concerns. We went through many different designs, adjusting the scope of the project based on what could be achieved through our research of programming and art. In the end, the game will serve as an introduction to vaporwave for the player through the art style and gameplay.

PAUL

Immersing the player in the world, and educating them is one of our goals with TESSELATE. Elias D. describes transformative learning as “the expansion of consciousness through the transformation of basic worldview and specific capacities of self.” When presented with a new frame of reference, the audience is forced to reevaluate the situation from a new perspective. An important aspect of this is understanding that we must learn from these experiences.

Trapped on alien world, what steps does the player take to solve his predicament? What obstacles exist in this place, what is it that must be done? TESSELATE places players in strange situations(slide-20), presents to them objects and scenery(slide-21) that cannot be found in real life. Games are a powerful tool. They have the potential to change our understanding of the world and the rules that govern it(slide-22). When offered a new perspective, it’s only logical to challenge what we already know.(slide-23)

ERICKSON

TESSELATE has seven levels(slide-24), planned along three main arcs. We used the three-arc structure(slide-25) common in literature and movies to serve as the skeleton of our game(slide-26). Achieving narrative through gameplay is one of our main goals. Arcs are divided based on what’s needed for the gameplay. The first arc focuses on discovery, we land on a strange planet and we are introduced to the alien landscape. Simple platforming and puzzles are the focus, this is to make the player familiar with the controls. The second arc is called distortion and takes old puzzle elements and mixes them together. Levels are “remixed” and old elements are used in a way that’s twisted and distorted. The final arc presents to the player the coda of the story. Dividing the game in this way allows us to present an organic narrative, separating them into sections to help the player understand the moving elements of the story.

Each level in TESSELATE is also divided into four main parts(slide-27). This is based on the 4-part Chinese narrative structure(slide-28) “Kishotenketsu”, which can also be seen in Japanese 4-panel comics. Levels are divided into four parts: introduction, development, twist, and conclusion. A gameplay element is introduced at the start of the level, given time to develop, twisted, and eventually brought to a conclusion. Elements are abandoned at the end of the level, making way for new gameplay in the next level. Revisiting these elements allows potential for more complex gameplay.

VINNY

(slide-29)TESSELATE is meant to inspire more than just players, but developers too. With this project, we hope to explore the possibilities of game design and videogames as a medium of expression. Narrative structure, minimalist design, vaporwave aesthetic, and puzzle gameplay all coalesce to create a unique gameplay experience. Players will walk away either confused or enlightened.

The aim of development is to explore the possibilities of game design. How do we adjust the process? How do we achieve a certain look? A feel? For us in the team, we aren’t trying to approach vaporwave and make a game that’s “like” it. We have to tap into the very essence of the genre itself, which is

One of our main goals with TESSELATE is to educate people. Expose them to a genre of art that they might not know or understand; then try to provide them with an interactive way to appreciate it. In the end, we are creating a journey. A pilgrimage to enlightenment. We provide the path, and the scenery; but in the end, answers reveal themselves only to those who open their eyes.(slide-30)