Little Hope is the second instalment in the Dark Pictures Anthology. Set in a small abandoned town in rural Massachusetts, a group of college students and their professor find themselves trapped. While being pursued by grotesque beings from the towns dark history and coming face to face with their doppelgangers, the gang must unravel the mysteries of Little Hope and find a way out.
I was part of the core team involved with bringing Little Hope from pre-production to final release. Using the studio modified version of Unreal Engine 4 and their proprietary visual scripting language, I delivered levels from storyboard to final, while also producing the games core narrative and gameplay beats.
Roles And Responsiblities
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Creation of levels and gameplay using the in-house storyboard tool to pre-vis the game from start to finish.
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Developing levels from blockout to final release and iterating upon them alongside the environment artists based on director feedback and needs of the story using a modified version of Unreal Engine 4.
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Blocking out and building upon gameplay mechanics such as interactions, exploration cameras, event triggers etc.
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Scripting cinematic sequences and integrating third-party animation data to create the games sequences.
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Balancing and adjusting the pacing of sequences based on playtesting and director feedback.
-
Creating the moment-to-moment game flow and logic for the games branching narrative using the studios in house scripting tool.
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Part of a small strike team that determined and evolved the games signature Bearings System, auditing the major choices in the game and how they affect the player.
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Helped determine the games golden path for both Single Player and Alternate Single Player, as well as balance which characters were playable in Multiplayer.
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Onboarded new members of the Design team.
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Assisted the outsource team with Design and Implementation.
-
Iterating upon gameplay mechanics such as interactions, exploration cameras, event triggers etc.
-
Integrating and editing third-party animation data to create the games sequences.
-
Balancing and adjusting the pacing of sequences based on playtesting and director feedback.
-
Building and iterating upon the collision and navmesh throughout the game.
-
Aided the core team in bug fixing and additional design work using the studios proprietary tool set.
Little Hope is the second instalment in the Dark Pictures Anthology. Set in a small abandoned town in rural Massachusetts, a group of college students and their professor find themselves trapped. While being pursued by grotesque beings from the towns dark history and coming face to face with their doppelgangers, the gang must unravel the mysteries of Little Hope and find a way out.
I was part of the core team involved with bringing Little Hope from pre-production to final release. Using the studio modified version of Unreal Engine 4 and their proprietary visual scripting language, I delivered levels from storyboard to final, while also producing the games core narrative and gameplay beats.
Roles And Responsiblities
-
Creation of levels and gameplay using the in-house storyboard tool to pre-vis the game from start to finish.
-
Developing levels from blockout to final release and iterating upon them alongside the environment artists based on director feedback and needs of the story using a modified version of Unreal Engine 4.
-
Blocking out and building upon gameplay mechanics such as interactions, exploration cameras, event triggers etc.
-
Scripting cinematic sequences and integrating third-party animation data to create the games sequences.
-
Balancing and adjusting the pacing of sequences based on playtesting and director feedback.
-
Creating the moment-to-moment game flow and logic for the games branching narrative using the studios in house scripting tool.
-
Part of a small strike team that determined and evolved the games signature Bearings System, auditing the major choices in the game and how they affect the player.
-
Helped determine the games golden path for both Single Player and Alternate Single Player, as well as balance which characters were playable in Multiplayer.
-
Onboarded new members of the Design team.
-
Assisted the outsource team with Design and Implementation.
-
Iterating upon gameplay mechanics such as interactions, exploration cameras, event triggers etc.
-
Integrating and editing third-party animation data to create the games sequences.
-
Balancing and adjusting the pacing of sequences based on playtesting and director feedback.
-
Building and iterating upon the collision and navmesh throughout the game.
-
Aided the core team in bug fixing and additional design work using the studios proprietary tool set.
Little Hope is the second instalment in the Dark Pictures Anthology. Set in a small abandoned town in rural Massachusetts, a group of college students and their professor find themselves trapped. While being pursued by grotesque beings from the towns dark history and coming face to face with their doppelgangers, the gang must unravel the mysteries of Little Hope and find a way out.
I was part of the core team involved with bringing Little Hope from pre-production to final release. Using the studio modified version of Unreal Engine 4 and their proprietary visual scripting language, I delivered levels from storyboard to final, while also producing the games core narrative and gameplay beats.
Roles And Responsiblities
-
Creation of levels and gameplay using the in-house storyboard tool to pre-vis the game from start to finish.
-
Developing levels from blockout to final release and iterating upon them alongside the environment artists based on director feedback and needs of the story using a modified version of Unreal Engine 4.
-
Blocking out and building upon gameplay mechanics such as interactions, exploration cameras, event triggers etc.
-
Scripting cinematic sequences and integrating third-party animation data to create the games sequences.
-
Balancing and adjusting the pacing of sequences based on playtesting and director feedback.
-
Creating the moment-to-moment game flow and logic for the games branching narrative using the studios in house scripting tool.
-
Part of a small strike team that determined and evolved the games signature Bearings System, auditing the major choices in the game and how they affect the player.
-
Helped determine the games golden path for both Single Player and Alternate Single Player, as well as balance which characters were playable in Multiplayer.
-
Onboarded new members of the Design team.
-
Assisted the outsource team with Design and Implementation.
-
Iterating upon gameplay mechanics such as interactions, exploration cameras, event triggers etc.
-
Integrating and editing third-party animation data to create the games sequences.
-
Balancing and adjusting the pacing of sequences based on playtesting and director feedback.
-
Building and iterating upon the collision and navmesh throughout the game.
-
Aided the core team in bug fixing and additional design work using the studios proprietary tool set.
Narrative Games
Level Design
Level Design
Writing and Narrative
Writing and Narrative
The Longest Journey
Role: Writer | Narrative Designer | Project Lead
Platform: Web-based | Built with Twine, BranchTrack, and BBC StoryFormer
Logline:
After being kidnapped by criminals, a determined dog embarks on a perilous journey to return home and reunite with his beloved owner.
Project Overview:
The Longest Journey is a branching narrative adventure created as part of a collaborative project at the University of South Wales, in partnership with the BBC. The task challenged us to explore interactive storytelling using the BBC's in-house tool StoryFormer, previously used in shows like His Dark Materials.
I led a team of three in the development of the story and interactive structure. I was responsible for the narrative design, branching logic, and overall creative vision, while Sam Alexander-Ford contributed artwork and Tira Pace assisted with editing.
The story was first prototyped in BranchTrack, then developed in StoryFormer, and ultimately converted into Twine for the final interactive format.
Key Contributions:
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Wrote and structured the story's branching paths, including multiple endings and early player choices
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Created the moment-to-moment narrative flow, balancing player agency with emotional pacing
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Designed and implemented interactive sequences using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in Twine
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Led the team using project management practices to maintain alignment and meet deadlines
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Playtested and iterated on pacing, logic, and outcomes based on player feedback
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Finalized and polished the project with a strong focus on narrative cohesion and quality
View the full development process and documentation here:
As you begin The Longest Journey, you're immediately placed in the paws of a loyal dog, disoriented and scared after being taken far from home. Each choice you make feels crucial—do you trust the stranger offering food, or follow the scent of your owner through dark alleyways? The branching paths unravel with emotional weight, as the dog encounters kindness, danger, and moments of hope. With every decision, the story shifts, making each playthrough a unique and heartfelt journey of loyalty, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between a dog and their human. The minimalistic design keeps you focused on the narrative, drawing you into a world where instinct, memory, and emotion guide your way home.
The branching narrative was converted into Twine to clearly display the interactive story structure. Using Twine, I exported the project as HTML, enabling it to be shared and hosted on Itch.io for public access and playtesting.
Image display of the branching in storyformer which was created for the BBC.
Screenshots
