Development Process

One of our biggest goals with Empty Nest was to develop mechanics that reinforce the central narrative thread of returning home. In order to achieve this, we brainstormed ways in which we could induce positive and negative emotions from the player through gameplay, and how those emotions could be used to reinforce the emotional beats of the story. 

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To achieve this, we stunted the player's initial movement so that they have to rapidly tap the A and D keys in order to move. This was an intentional design choice, intended to emulate the sensation of crawling slowly across the ground as a newborn bird would. These negative emotions would induce a sense of fear and apprehension from players, making the emotional resolution at the story's end all the more satisfying. With each new mechanic introduced (running, jumping, flight) we wanted to impart a continual sense of growth onto players, aligning their emotions with those of the player character. In doing so, we were able to craft an experience that emulates the sensation of helplessness at being separated from one's home, and the strength of will necessary to find one's way back.