Role: Environmental Lead, Narrative Designer
“Cards of Heart” is a narrative-focused cozy digital card game mixed with a top-down RPG about a young woman’s daily mental health struggles against her inner Shadows. My roles were the Environmental Lead and narrative designer. My main responsibilities consist of designing the side quests, NPCs, and developing the world-building.
Side Quests
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Designed high-level concepts and quest structures for all side quests including rewards and NPCS involved
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Organize each side quest into sequences and beats in which the player can play them, similar to a Game Design Macro Chart
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Accompanying each quest description are reference pictures and art to set the tone and clarify vision
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Every side quest went through several iterations to achieve a coherent set of quests that fit into the design and experience goals of the game
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Led the environmental team to plan out locations of NPCs for side quest and where players go during each step of the quests
NPCs
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Designed the main NPCs that become Battle Companion Cards for the card system
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Developed side NPCs that populate the world and give side quests
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Collaborated with the environmental team to give every character personality/attitude, personal history, story role, and unique visual design
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Created a character bible in Google Sheets to communicate clearly with the art team beginning with concepts to final 2D sprites and portrait art
World-Building
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Focused on the role of Magic, Adventurers, and the history of Respite, the town the game takes place in
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Started with magic, describing the evolution of magic in society and the role of magic wielders up until the time of the game
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Similar process to magic for creating the role of adventurers. Gave conflicts to the role and purpose of adventurers that have led to different types of adventurers inhabiting the world
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For Respite, I started with how it was founded and by whom. Then described how the town's attractions have transformed over time to how it is now within the game