Paralect: an example of transition focused design

Paralect is a long-format video game, playable on Mac and Windows, exploring the paradigm shifts one experiences when living in another culture. The game arc is based on my personal experience and uses surrealist aesthetics and narrative to communicate cultural plurality on multiple levels. ❧ The game uses platforming mechanics, surrealist aesthetics, and a five-chapter narrative to tell a personal story of cultural uprooting. While not depicting that story literally, the game universe is an allegory for the exploration of the paradigm shifts caused by culture shock and adaptation. It investigates how those transformations affect one’s vision of people, environment, the place you initially came from and, most importantly, the place you wish to call home. ❧ The game is divided into a sequence of experiences. At first glance, the main world is a very typical platformer, presenting the player with environmental obstacles and puzzles. However the narrative delivery system allows the player to spatially explore the monologue of other characters and discover clues about how these people and their world works. Finally, upon the player’s death, a short stint in “limbo” grounds the concept of failure and strengthens the presence of obstacles within the world. ❧ As the game progresses and the player explores new civilizations, each of these “frames” evolve and shift the player’s initial understanding. As it challenges preconceptions within its surreal universe, the game ideally becomes a metaphor of very real paradigm shifts in cultural adaptation.