Aphotic Descent
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Aphotic Descent *
Overview of Contributions and Experience
Crafting the Story: I had the honor of leading the narrative team, developing the game’s setting and ecosystem to bring our lead artist and visionary, Sara Rootsey’s (@GayBowzer on Instagram), concepts to life.
Creating the Soundscape: As Lead Musician, I composed the game’s soundtrack, contributed voice acting and sound design, and directed performances to ensure the characters’ voices aligned with the story’s intent.
Game Design: On the game design side, I took on the challenge of developing gameplay mechanics, designing levels, and crafting narrative encounters. Every step of the process was about ensuring the player experience was engaging, immersive, and fun.
YEAR
2023
GENRE
Horror, Adventure, Exploration
GAME ENGINE
Unity
PLATFORM
Steam
TEAM
Broiled Squid Studios
CONTRIBUTIONS
Narrative Development, Leadership, Project Management, Mechanics Design, Level Design, Music Composition, Voice Acting, Voice Direction, Sound Design
The Soundtrack
I'm thrilled to share that my track "Ocean Vibes" has hit over 100k+ listens on Spotify! As both the composer and producer, reaching this milestone has been an amazing validation of the effort I’ve put into my audio production.
During the project, I taught myself basic music theory and used a combination of Vital Synthesizer and Reaper to craft the soundtrack. The process involved experimenting with sound design, layering, and mixing to create an immersive experience that I’m so proud of. If you have a moment, I’d love for you to give it a listen!
Acting/Direction
Narrator Voice: I voiced all cutscenes in Aphotic Descent, from the storyboard stage to the final produced scenes in the game. This narration was also featured in the main trailer.
Monster Voices: I voiced two of the game’s boss monsters, giving each a distinct and memorable sound to enhance the game's atmosphere.
Voice Direction: I directed the voice cast, focusing on the main villain, Catalina, to ensure a performance with the right balance of intensity and nuance.
SFX Production: I collaborated with the lead designer to brainstorm, record, and refine sound effects, ensuring they seamlessly integrated into the game’s environments for a more immersive experience.
Examples of my voice work in the game Aphotic Descent
A look at how the SFX and Music are mixed in the lab section.
Narrative Design
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Narrative Design *
I earned my role as Narrative Lead after winning an internal writing contest with my pitch, which set the foundation for the game's story. My responsibilities included recruiting and managing the narrative team, assigning and tracking tasks via ClickUp, and coordinating with the Director and Producer. To strengthen our storytelling, I also hosted community events like movie nights, analyzing films such as The Abyss and Alien for inspiration.
Key Contributions:
Story Development: My winning pitch merged mystery and tension, shaping the game's atmospheric experience.
Team Management: Hired and led the narrative team, managed ClickUp, and ensured smooth communication across departments, especially during a major design pivot.
Narrative Guide: Created an early Narrative Guide with pipelines, quotes, and structural details to maintain consistency.
Slumbering Leviathan: My initial exploration of a Man vs. Nature theme, inspired by Pathologic, evolved into the game's deeper narrative.
Kelp Maze Logs: Wrote the first drafts of in-game audio logs to immerse players in the world and reveal story layers.
Storyboards: Sketched rough storyboards to map key narrative moments, guiding cutscene development.
GDD & Narrative Doc: When our Lead Designer was unavailable in the final stages, I collaborated with the Creative Director to complete the Game Design Document.
Level & Mechanic Design
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Level & Mechanic Design *
From the start, I played a key role in shaping the core gameplay mechanics, enemy concepts, and level design. Working closely with the Creative Director and Design Lead, I contributed to playtesting, in-engine technical design, and puzzle development to ensure the mechanics were both challenging and engaging.
Key Contributions:
Initial Design Concepts: Developed early concepts for gameplay mechanics and enemy designs, laying the groundwork for the game's core elements.
Lab Concept: Collaborated with the Creative Director and narrative team on the lab’s design, making it a central hub for the game’s logs and tying narrative elements into the puzzle.
Final Level Guide: Contributed to the finalized level guide, which structured the game's levels. Though some details were adjusted for pacing, the guide remained a strong foundation throughout development.
Aphotic Descent GDD: Co-wrote the Game Design Document (GDD) with the Creative Director, blending narrative and design elements into a cohesive document.
