Paper Boat
Game Design, Leap Motion, Indie Game
2021.10 -- 2021.12
This is an idea that came to my mind when I was studying somatosensory interaction design, so I designed a game based on Leap Motion somatosensory device. Because I had no experience in developing games before, so I only made some prototypes and a demo.
Game Overview
Paper Boat is a somatic game based on Leap Motion equipment. It's a single-player puzzle clearing game.
In this game, player need to control the boat in game to move forward through somatosensory interaction, so that the boat can finally reach the blue crystal. During the period, the boat will encounter various obstacles and mechanisms, and player need to interact with these mechanisms to eliminate obstacles.
Design Inspiration: I thought of the experience of playing with paper boat when I was a child. I would put a folded paper boat in water and then fiddle with water surface to make boat move. So I had a whim, what would it be like if this kind of playing process could be incorporated into game?
← Click here to view complete design document of the game
Innovation of game
1. Somatosensory Interaction
Player will control somatosensory with both hands, and virtual hands in game will maintain the same posture and position as player’s hands
​2. Realistic Somatosensory Interaction
Player doesn't indirectly control game by making simple gestures, but can do some interactive actions the same as in reality. Such as grasping objects with your hands, fiddle with the surface of water, turning mechanism, etc.
​3. Solve Puzzles and Clear Levels
In order to gain a foothold for more interactive methods, I introduce puzzle factor. There are many mechanisms in game world waiting for player to explore, and different mechanisms have different ways of interacting.
Design Process
First, I designed the control method of boat
Paddling forward at stern
Paddling backward at bow
Paddling water in the direction shown in sketch in blue circle area to make boat turn
Paddling forward at stern
After solving the problem of boat movement, I designed the game's reward and punishment mechanism.
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Reward
1. When boat reaches Blue Crystal, player successfully clears the level and enters next
2. After boat picks up a Star, the nearby Rock will disappear
3. When Pressure Button is activated, the nearby Mechanism Wall will be controled
4. When player uses Fishing skills to catch a Mysterious Bag under water, they will get a Star or other object
PS: The disappearance of Stone and the controling of Mechanism Wall means that obstacle is eliminated and boat can continue moving forward.
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Punishment
1. When boat is illuminated by Red Beam, the last Star picked up will return to its original position, and the lost Stone will reappear
2. When boat reaches Dangerous Area, boat will return to spawn point
3. When other objects reach danger zone, they will disappear and return to their original position
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​Game Mechanisms
After determining basic reward and punishment mechanism, I designed some obstacles and mechanisms to enrich game settings. (Only shows part, please check design document for full version)
Motion Interaction
I used Unity to make prototypes of some mechanisms. The gifs below are demonstrations of virtual hands grabbing Small Cube and operating Crank to control Movable Water.
Part of the code for Crank to control Movable Water
In addition to the more realistic interaction methods, I also designed some more magical interaction methods, that is Skill. After all, game that is too real can't attract players.
Players can use skills in game and interact with more game mechanisms.
Draft design of skill to create Water Column
Draft design of skill to Fishing
In order to allow players to use Skills freely, I designed a menu attached to virtual hand. Players can click buttons in the menu to use Skills.
Design draft and effect demonstration
Level Design
A large number of mechanisms and interaction methods have been designed before, but players cannot master so many gameplay in short time. Therefore, I designed many game levels to gradually let players master these gameplays.
