In first snow, the scenes are filled visually though the actual area the player can move about in is heavily restricted in the beginning. This forces the player to progress in only one direction and really depicts the way the world feels to a child in these scenes where the lack of ability to move outside the linear paths is much like the rules a kid has to follow. In the scene where the player walks home along the path, they are blocked off by snowflakes which they must remove form the path by pressing z and catching them, much like how a child gets distracted by things of interest while following these linear paths laid out for them. In later scenes where the play area is more open, this gives the player the freedom to move around and play like a child at the end of the day. The scene where you are meant to run around and catch snowflakes for however long you like really complements the freedom of the space, exemplifying this even more. And the final scene, though not as free as the outside, the open space within the confines of the house walls is a comforting balance between the freedom of play and restriction of priorities. You playing as the child are meant to interact with the hot cocoa, fireplace, and other things to prepare yourself for another day of priorities and play before you head to bed.
The space and scene in this game is an essential part of the game experience. The game takes place in two types of space: comfy indoor space and outdoor space with the first snow. The player will have different expectations for the space. In the classroom space, the character delivers the CS homework, and at this point the player would want to leave the classroom and go home. When the player moves to the outdoor space, the scene is surprisingly pleasant to enjoy. The path is covered in white and large snowflakes fall slowly from the sky. If the player isn't in a hurry, they can even catch the snowflakes. The falling snowflakes is exactly what I expected from the snowy outdoor space, because the first snowy day in a year just have that power to make you want to stay longer outdoors and play with the snowflakes. The space creates an atmosphere that makes the player feel the joy and novelty for the first snow. The 2nd indoor space, on the other hand, provides a feeling of warmness and safety. The house is a warm shelter from the cold snow outside, and there's hot potato and chocolate in the house to enjoy. The game caught the special experience of the first snow day and expressed that in the game.
In this game, the space is organized around a snowy day. Scenes take place both outdoor and indoor. The designer included many snow-related objects, such as snowflakes, snowman, and a warm place to stay indoors. There are entrances and exits. For example, in the first scene, the player exits the classroom after handing in their homework. Then, after exploring the snowy pathway, the player enters a house-like structure that is full of winter food. The designer also includes wide and narrow parts. For instance, the snowy pathway is narrow where the player needs to follow the path in order to get to the next scene; in comparison, the warm house is a wider space where the player can explore the house freely. It has real world analogues all over the game, too. The outdoor snowy scene looks very realistic, and the color contrast between the indoor space and the outdoor also adds a sense of warmness. These elements make me feel like I am experiencing a snowy day. Going back to the title “初雪” (the first day of snow in Chinese), I can totally relate the experiencing the joy of seeing snow for the first time in a year. The space is mostly continuous. The snowy outdoor scene is a great example of a continuous scene: the player is able to walk through the pathway while catching the snowflakes. The player also collides with many objects in the game. An example of this would be the trigger in the classroom. The player needs to turn in her homework to go out to the snow.
Prompt 2: Drawing on Doris Rusch's account of games as expressive media, describe how the abstract rules simulate some real-world system.
This game," 初雪", is about a girl meeting the first snow in a year. My role is a girl who seems to study in an elementary school. Another boy is walking around in the first scene, the classroom. The boy makes players feel like they are really in a school because there are other classmates. The main mechanic in this game is walking and interacting with items. In the first scene, the girl has to turn in the homework and leave the classroom. The girl goes outside and enjoys the snow scene in the second scene. In this scene, the snowflakes are resources. They fall on the ground, and the players have to catch them to continue walking. It makes the game like real-world because children like to catch snowflakes in real life. In the third scene, the girl goes back home. She can interact with hot chocolate, fire, sweet potato, and bed. The rule is to get close to these items and press the "Z" button to interact. These are things that people could have after getting back home from cold places. Drinking hot drinks and using the fireplace to keep warm these actions make the game more real. In the end, the character goes to bed and fall asleep. After sleeping, she has a dream of going outside again to see the first snow. These four scenes add up to a day in a girl's life, going to school, watching the snow, going home, and going to bed. Each part is very consistent, so it is very much like the real world.
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Prompt 1 :
In first snow, the scenes are filled visually though the actual area the player can move about in is heavily restricted in the beginning. This forces the player to progress in only one direction and really depicts the way the world feels to a child in these scenes where the lack of ability to move outside the linear paths is much like the rules a kid has to follow. In the scene where the player walks home along the path, they are blocked off by snowflakes which they must remove form the path by pressing z and catching them, much like how a child gets distracted by things of interest while following these linear paths laid out for them. In later scenes where the play area is more open, this gives the player the freedom to move around and play like a child at the end of the day. The scene where you are meant to run around and catch snowflakes for however long you like really complements the freedom of the space, exemplifying this even more. And the final scene, though not as free as the outside, the open space within the confines of the house walls is a comforting balance between the freedom of play and restriction of priorities. You playing as the child are meant to interact with the hot cocoa, fireplace, and other things to prepare yourself for another day of priorities and play before you head to bed.
Prompt 4 (Evocative spaces):
The space and scene in this game is an essential part of the game experience. The game takes place in two types of space: comfy indoor space and outdoor space with the first snow. The player will have different expectations for the space. In the classroom space, the character delivers the CS homework, and at this point the player would want to leave the classroom and go home. When the player moves to the outdoor space, the scene is surprisingly pleasant to enjoy. The path is covered in white and large snowflakes fall slowly from the sky. If the player isn't in a hurry, they can even catch the snowflakes. The falling snowflakes is exactly what I expected from the snowy outdoor space, because the first snowy day in a year just have that power to make you want to stay longer outdoors and play with the snowflakes. The space creates an atmosphere that makes the player feel the joy and novelty for the first snow. The 2nd indoor space, on the other hand, provides a feeling of warmness and safety. The house is a warm shelter from the cold snow outside, and there's hot potato and chocolate in the house to enjoy. The game caught the special experience of the first snow day and expressed that in the game.
Prompt 1:
In this game, the space is organized around a snowy day. Scenes take place both outdoor and indoor. The designer included many snow-related objects, such as snowflakes, snowman, and a warm place to stay indoors. There are entrances and exits. For example, in the first scene, the player exits the classroom after handing in their homework. Then, after exploring the snowy pathway, the player enters a house-like structure that is full of winter food. The designer also includes wide and narrow parts. For instance, the snowy pathway is narrow where the player needs to follow the path in order to get to the next scene; in comparison, the warm house is a wider space where the player can explore the house freely. It has real world analogues all over the game, too. The outdoor snowy scene looks very realistic, and the color contrast between the indoor space and the outdoor also adds a sense of warmness. These elements make me feel like I am experiencing a snowy day. Going back to the title “初雪” (the first day of snow in Chinese), I can totally relate the experiencing the joy of seeing snow for the first time in a year. The space is mostly continuous. The snowy outdoor scene is a great example of a continuous scene: the player is able to walk through the pathway while catching the snowflakes. The player also collides with many objects in the game. An example of this would be the trigger in the classroom. The player needs to turn in her homework to go out to the snow.
Prompt 2: Drawing on Doris Rusch's account of games as expressive media, describe how the abstract rules simulate some real-world system.
This game," 初雪", is about a girl meeting the first snow in a year. My role is a girl who seems to study in an elementary school. Another boy is walking around in the first scene, the classroom. The boy makes players feel like they are really in a school because there are other classmates. The main mechanic in this game is walking and interacting with items. In the first scene, the girl has to turn in the homework and leave the classroom. The girl goes outside and enjoys the snow scene in the second scene. In this scene, the snowflakes are resources. They fall on the ground, and the players have to catch them to continue walking. It makes the game like real-world because children like to catch snowflakes in real life. In the third scene, the girl goes back home. She can interact with hot chocolate, fire, sweet potato, and bed. The rule is to get close to these items and press the "Z" button to interact. These are things that people could have after getting back home from cold places. Drinking hot drinks and using the fireplace to keep warm these actions make the game more real. In the end, the character goes to bed and fall asleep. After sleeping, she has a dream of going outside again to see the first snow. These four scenes add up to a day in a girl's life, going to school, watching the snow, going home, and going to bed. Each part is very consistent, so it is very much like the real world.