I designed this interactive digital narrative in Twine using the coding language Harlowe. It's a fantasy choose-your-own-adventure style game in which you play as Arden- a witch escaping her captors. Throughout the game, the player has meaningful choices that have direct impact on Arden's chances, directing the narrative. All the illustrations are my own.
See below for my process.
The Process
Illustration
I wanted the illustrations to be rooted in mythology and fantasy stories that have inspired my artistic process. Being from Ireland and named after a mythological queen, I have always felt a connection with the tales of magic that I was brought up on. I named all the creatures and places after Irish folklore.
The Story & Writing
The story inspiration came from the fantasy and dystopia that I grew up on such as The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Rings. I used a familiar fantasy story structure- hero has stolen a weapon from the enemy for the rebellion and is actively being pursued by them. However, where I made it interesting was in the meaningful choices I give to the player to make. The player encounters creatures, friends and foe to decide how best to progress, leaving them with moral and physical consequences, both seen and unseen later along the story.
I decided to go with a simple and stripped back illustration style, using relief shading marks to bring out highlights and shadows. I used different colour backdrops to convey changes in Arden's emotions, when magic was in use and to distinguish changes in location.
Scene Development Examples
The Story and Interaction Map
