Aimless Apocalypse

Inspiration

The inspiration is based on the first game we made together. It was for a game jam and we had a lot of fun making it. Thus, it provided much inspiration and guidance going forward, especially since we decided to make it into a sequel.

What it does

This game is a visual novel that explores AI generation and what it can do. The game was made purely for entertainment, with the added bonus of demonstrating that it is important to be able to know what AI is capable of doing as it is becoming more and more prevalent in media.

How we built it

We built it by having our team of four originally split into two groups. Two people focused on illustration, while the other two focused on programming and other necessary aspects needed to make it. We used Ren'py for our engine and utilized AI in a manner that would elevate our game as it was about AI. We used it to modify or develop pictures as well as assist with coding for the occasions when we would get stuck and could not figure out the next step. We also have received help from a mentor from software design partners to help develop the story for our game.

Challenges we ran into

Occasionally we would run into an instance where we would want a feature but were unable to code it due to the limitations of Ren'py. An example of this would be the timer we have in a segment of our game. Originally, we wanted to it be a bar that would indicate how much time you have left, though unfortunately the amount of workarounds to make that happen were not justifiable in such a short time frame to develop a game. This led to us seeking alternative solutions, such as turning the bar into a countdown.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are extremely proud of how far we got with our game and that we were able to enjoy making it up until its very last moments. We are also proud of all the knowledge and experience we gained, as well as all the original art that was created in a short time span to make the game feel unique and complete.

What we learned

We have learned more about game development and what is required to effectively communicate in order to achieve the best results. We have also learned more about coding in general as well as story writing, editing, and other aspects of game design.

What's next for Aimless Apocalypse

Though the future of Aimless Apocalypse is currently unclear, we believe that it does have the potential to be polished up in the future and become a solid game. This would include cleaning up the code, smoothing out the story and dialogue, and improving any other aspect of the game that has potential for improvement. Also knowing that our team can consistently work well together, we also know that development for future projects is entirely possible and that improvement is expected it come with future developments as well.