Infection Prototype

Platform: PC · Engine: Unreal · Team size: 9-19 · Timetable: Three Months

Nerve worked on a prototype based on an initial pitch that included team-switching in a horror style as the major tagline. As we continued development, we identified a couple of unique features and we wanted to see if we could make them fun. We pivoted to a specific style of gameplay where one team (aliens) couldn’t see the other team (humans), but they could see their sound events. As the aliens caught the humans, they would turn them into more aliens. The game would end when the humans accomplished some objective in the map, or they were all converted into aliens. This was all in pursuit of putting together a pitch that included three parts: a gameplay prototype to show off gameplay, an art scene to set a quality bar, and concept art to communicate how we’d like to skin the final product.

From the beginning of the gameplay prototype, I was tagged to lead the prototype. Together with the game designer, a lead engineer and a lead artist, we drove the development of the prototype through the pre-production phase. I believe the best way to generate a prototype is to set high-level goals and work in rapid iterations towards those goals. I worked with the team to set up a rapid prototyping and playtesting schedule. We were spending the first weeks of every sprint working on new content, and then using the second (and sometimes third) weeks to rapidly iterate and evolve our idea. We prioritized having a playable version of the game that could demonstrate the fun to our internal stakeholders. My collaboration with the game designer included setting sprint goals and holding the team accountable to them, grooming a simple living backlog, removing inefficiencies to increase iteration speed, and preparing presentations for stakeholders.

My Contributions:

• Coached team on rapid prototyping methods

• Worked with Game Designer to set achievable goals for sprints

• Organized team and company playtests of our prototype

• Collaborated with team on a RACI system to improve decision-making

• Integrated artists into engineering team, setting up pipelines

• Researched and organized playtests of potential competitors

• Collected sprint results for presentations to stakeholders

• Synthesized feedback from stakeholders and playtesters

Tools I Used Daily:

Assessment: Adding Artists to Engineering/Design team

Management: Integrate artists without disrupting team

Method: Negotiate expectations for the artists for playtesting, pipelines, goal-setting, and roles

Our team initially consisted of five engineers, an artist, the game designer, and myself. Our lead artist and stakeholders wanted to add artists to begin leveling up visuals in the game. The next sprint, we added eight artists to the project in various roles. My desire was to keep the iterations as quick as possible while slowly integrating artist work and feedback. The lead artist and I negotiated expectations for the artists based on the team’s needs, and arrived at a place where we had two artists working in rapid iterations with the team while the rest of the artists worked towards long-term goals.

Assessment: Need for Rapid Iterative development

Management: Encourage rapid play-driven prototyping

Method: organize playtests, help keep tasks small during planning, Empower team, Praise Rapid iterations

Our first sprint consisted of just getting the game stood up in Unreal, but during the next sprint, we would start iterating on the gameplay and trying to find the fun. I met with the whole team and set the goal of playtesting every day, and I used the results to fuel our further development rather than setting a more concrete plan at the beginning of the sprint. Initially, there was some resistance as team members felt there wasn’t much changing every playtest, but as we moved forward, the team saw the benefits and bought in. They began leaning heavily on the playtest-driven prototyping, and our game leveled up very quickly.