Personal project · MSc capstone
It Ain’t That Deep
A 2.5D underwater exploration project focused on gameplay systems, interaction, and iterative UX testing.
Gameplay Prototype
Main menu of the game
Loading screen with dynamic tips
Still from an in-game cutscene
Storyboard from early narrative planning
Initial sketch of interaction layout
Refined version of paper prototype
My contribution
Prototyping connected gameplay systems.
Working with Jake Avra, I have built player controllers, combat and quest systems, dialogue integration, contextual interactions, and responsive UI while using UX prototyping and playtesting to evaluate how those systems work together.
Technical highlights
Systems designed to interact.
- Built 2.5D and first-person player controllers for an underwater sandbox.
- Integrated Pixel Crushers Dialogue System for branching interactions and environmental triggers.
- Connected combat, quests, physics, dialogue, and contextual reactions into a player-driven loop.
- Used a Figma-to-Unity UI workflow to prototype responsive interfaces and feedback.
Development challenges
Challenge → approach → result
- System interaction: Prototyped dialogue, quests, combat, physics, and triggers together so player actions could produce readable consequences.
- Player clarity: Used paper and Figma prototypes, then playtesting, to iterate on UI feedback and interaction affordances.
- Sandbox scope: Used modular systems and staged prototypes to explore emergent interactions while keeping the academic project buildable.
Development decisions
Prototype the interaction before polishing it.
The project treats UX testing and paper or Figma prototypes as part of gameplay development. This makes it possible to test whether a system communicates its intent before investing in a larger implementation.
Outcome
Completed playable release.
The project reached a completed playable release as an academic and personal exploration of gameplay systems, player expression, and interaction design.