2nd Iteration

It has been quite a while since we worked on Orlando. Following our presentation at the 33rd Annual International Conference on Virginia Woolf (Woolf, Modernity, Technology), held June 6–9, 2024, at California State University, Fresno, we thought it was time to resume development.

As you can see in the video on the main page and in the screenshots above, we have implemented some initial gameplay and dialogue to explore the project’s direction. In the process of revisiting the work and making the gameplay more concrete, the project has lost some of its earlier artistic abstraction and become more figurative.

The main concept is simple: the player must discover what shape they need to take in order to progress. They can enter an abstracted space representing the “inner” self, where “concepts” form by finding the right point of view. The camera can orbit an object, and at a certain correct set of coordinates, the object will reveal its shape. This revelation carries over into the game world and manifests as a gain—whether by receiving an object, changing clothes (color), or fulfilling another requirement to solve a puzzle.

Introducing concrete gameplay marks a transition from concept to interaction, revealing the complexity of turning large, abstract themes into clear, playable mechanics that can be perceived and understood through action.

With each discovery we can connect more meaningfully to the player’s sense of agency.