Blossoming Spirit
Mystical Visual Novel
Overview
Aikido, founded by Morihei Ueshiba, is a martial art that emphasizes harmony with your opponent to peacefully resolve conflicts. Its aim is not to conquer others but to overcome the negative traits within oneself that hinder mental clarity and effectiveness.
By combining Aikido techniques with video game mechanics, this story offers a unique gaming experience that promotes mindfulness and a sense of balance within the game world. The goal of the game is to let players become the savior of the world while improving their health and wellbeing through breathing exercises and learning about Aikido.
How might we design an engaging and immersive game that effectively integrates breath as the core mechanic, allowing players to explore its impact on gameplay, enhance their wellbeing, and experience personal growth?
Contribution
UI/UX Design Lead
Game Design
Research
Team
Just me!
Tools
Figma
Adobe Photoshop
Canva
Duration
1 month
Self-paced Breathing Exercises
Designed to be self-paced, players can engage in these sessions for as long as they want and revisit them at any time.
Learn Aikido Techniques
Players will use Aikido techniques to navigate challenges and combat the mysterious corruption. As they progress, they will learn about Aikido principles and breathing exercises, applying these practices to improve both in-game skills and real-life wellbeing.
Log Book
The log book serves as a reflection tool for players, allowing them to track their progress and insights. Additionally, it serves as a means for The Verse to gather data on the player's experiences with the various breathing exercises and interactions within the game world.
Inspiration
The title "Blossoming Spirit" reflects the core themes of growth, transformation, and inner peace central to the game. "Blossoming" signifies the process of unfolding and evolving, much like how players develop their skills and understanding through breath practices and Aikido techniques. "Spirit" emphasizes the essence of personal and spiritual growth, aligning with the game's focus on improving wellbeing and harmonizing with oneself. Together, the title evokes a sense of positive change and the journey towards a more balanced and enlightened self.
The inspiration for my game comes from the "Spirit Blossom" event in League of Legends (2020), which featured a captivating visual novel mini-game. I aimed to create a game with a similar atmosphere, drawing on Aikido for the storyline. My goal was to gamify various Aikido techniques and breathing exercises, allowing players to become the hero of their journey.
Cherry blossoms were used as a central motif, symbolizing progress and tranquility throughout the game. The font 'Baby Doll' was chosen to add a touch of personalization and warmth to the digital experience.
Wireframes
I created wireframes to map out the main screens and interactions of the game. These wireframes detail the user interface, breath practice sessions, Aikido technique tutorials, and the log book feature. They provide a clear visual guide for developers and stakeholders, ensuring alignment on the game's structure and user experience.
Style Guide
I designed a style guide for Blossoming Spirit, detailing the primary typography (Codec Pro) and secondary typography (Baby Doll) to create a balanced and readable text hierarchy. The color palette features calming and harmonious tones that enhance the serene and immersive game environment. This guide ensures a consistent visual identity throughout the game.
Video Demo
I created a short tutorial/intro video demo for Blossoming Spirit, edited in Canva to include sound effects. This demo introduces players to the game's core mechanics, breath practice sessions, and Aikido techniques, providing a glimpse into the immersive gameplay experience.
Using Figma, I developed a clickable/playable prototype of Blossoming Spirit. This prototype allows stakeholders to interact with key features, such as the breath exercises, Aikido tutorials, and log book, offering a hands-on preview of the game's user interface and flow.
Play Prototype
Takeaways
This was my first time designing a video game. There is still a lot for me to learn when it comes to game design, and I'm happy I created one for health & wellbeing. I would like to make my own designs for the characters, since I'm currently using placeholder characters from The Legend of Korra and Fire Emblem Awakening. I would also like to dabble more into the sound design to make a fuller, more complete version of the game.
I also need to do more research on Aikido breathing techniques, as I want to truly incorporate that in the game. Lastly, the story for Blossoming Spirit could be very vast. I only made the tutorial, so there is a lot of potential for how the game and narrative could be expanded.
