In the interactive project Common Denominator, a post-apocalyptic alternate reality game, players are immersed in a world where their moral choices dictate the future of humanity. Inspired by the acclaimed Tell-tale franchise, this game is a product of the creative minds at UWE_Film, showcasing our collective flair for interactive storytelling.
As the Lead Narrative Designer and Director of Common Denominator, I played a pivotal role in shaping this choice-based moral experience. The story begins with what appears to be a beneficial vaccination, but it quickly spirals into chaos as the supposed cure transforms into a tampered bio-weapon, turning its victims into carriers of a deadly, cold-like disease.
Tasked with the monumental goal of saving humanity, players navigate through a narrative filled with suspense and ethical dilemmas. They must identify and eliminate those posing a threat to the spread of this biovirus while unraveling the mystery of who sabotaged the vaccine. My role involved intricately crafting each storyline branch, embedding each decision and consequence with a deep sense of moral complexity and narrative engagement.
Common Denominator offers more than just gameplay; it is an exploration of ethical challenges set against the backdrop of a crisis-laden world. It invites players to contemplate their values and the weight of their decisions, marking it as a distinctive example of narrative design in the realm of interactive gaming.
This game was taken to various colleagues across England and Wales, which gave us a fantastic insight to what the players were thinking and feeling throughout their playthrough. Below is a short trailer and user experience video, detailing the players experiences and improvements in order for us to iterate our game during the user testing phase.
