Sun & Sea
Sing, O Muse, of the curiosity of Icarus…
You are Icarus. You fly too close to the sun or the sea: this cannot change. But your tragedy need not come to pass. Travel into the blinding light of the skies or the boundless dark of the seas, interact with fantasies and figures of myth, and make decisions that can alter your fate. With dialogue and narrative options as well as four possible endings, explore the story of Icarus — in new light and darkness.
Created for Cal Marginalized Genders in Gaming’s second spring Game Jam in 2021.
Contributions:
- Narrative Design
- Writing
- Programming
Proficiencies:
- Twine
Skills
- Conceptualized, wrote, and published a text-based visual novel featuring branching dialogue and multiple endings
- Wrote the prologue, providing direction, guidance, and editing for peers on two following routes
- Organized and collaborated with a small game jam team (of three) over an extended weekend—scoping, visualizing, and mobilizing quickly to deliver a minimum viable product
- Familiarized self with Twine software, programming and producing the game for testing and publishing
Sun & Sea holds a special place in my heart, as my first real foray into game development. Couldn’t ask for a better team (in Anne Zhang-Huang and Grace Yang), who lended all their creativity and skill for a weekend of chaotic brainstorming, production, and Twine fighting. I look back on Sun & Sea with pride, as a story where we took heart in lyricism and reimagining a classic tale. I’m a sucker for Greek myth, and with the game jam’s theme of “light and darkness,” Sun & Sea’s style is still right up my alley.
ISA MARI DE LEON 