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Gameplay
Behind-the-Scenes Documentary
Responsabilities
As a Producer, I...
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Conducted in-depth research and benchmarking of similar games, identifying key features and opportunities to differentiate the project.
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Led play-testing sessions and managed a bug-reporting sheet, ensuring a smooth and polished final product.
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Created a visually compelling pitch deck for presentations, effectively communicating the game’s vision and key selling points to stakeholders.
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Developed a landing page, capturing the essence of the game and providing clear and engaging information for potential players.
As a Game Designer, I...
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Designed engaging choreography to optimize the user experience in virtual reality, ensuring immersive and intuitive interactions.
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Developed and fine-tuned core game systems, including the classification of points, scoring criteria, and key moments for scoring throughout the gameplay.
As an Art Director, I...
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Modeled and animated 3D characters and environments, bringing the game's world to life with attention to detail and aesthetics.
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Crafted a user-friendly UI on 3D, designing intuitive menus and HUD elements that enhance player experience (specially for those who never used VR before).
Creation Process
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The choreographic design was developed based on the song Warmisitay by Milena Warthon, which belongs to the Andean pop genre. First, the song was divided into verses and main sections (pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, etc.).
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A base number of steps was defined, limiting the choreography to 9 unique movements to maintain a moderate level of difficulty.
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Then, each step was assigned to a specific verse, and the number of necessary repetitions was determined. This allowed the scoring system, controlled by an AI trained with machine learning, to identify each individual step based on the rotation of the controllers and the headset.
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Training the AI involved performing the complete choreography at least 50 times (I ended up exhausted).
For the choreography, I combined basic caporales steps with primarily arm movements to ensure they could be performed comfortably while using the virtual reality headset. A flat video test was conducted first, followed by frame-by-frame animation in virtual reality.
Iterations of
Perú Party's
visual identity
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The game's visual style evolved from a geometric and monochromatic design to a more curved and colorful one, inspired by the Peruvian "chicha" style, to capture the cultural essence of the music and appeal to a global audience.
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The user interface was simplified by removing the star-based rating system, and the maximum score was set to 500 to match the 3-minute song duration.
Integration in Unity
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The stage and dancer modeling were optimized in Blender to assemble the final scene in Unity 3D.
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A natural Peruvian landscape, such as Machu Picchu, was combined with modern concert-themed elements.
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Work is underway to transition to a version for Unreal Engine 5 to enhance the graphics.
What I learned...
3D Art Workflow
Before starting the project, I had no experience in 3D Art, so I developed my skills as I progressed. I gained advanced knowledge in 3ds Max for 3D modeling and learned to animate characters frame by frame in Blender. Additionally, I optimized the models for efficient use in game engines.
Use of Unity 3D
I used Unity for the first time, learning to implement assets, use lighting and skyboxes, link materials to 3D models, and apply basic scripting for visual effects (such as blinking or color changes in lights). I acquired all these skills through self-learning.
Everything is trial and error
I learned to keep a detailed log of tests to facilitate error identification and the analysis of feedback for implementation. I conducted at least 20 iterations of the logo before reaching the final version, taking into account user feedback gathered through 3 interview sessions with twenty participants and 2 focus groups.
Starting Out as an Indie Dev
Thanks to the Incubation Program, I learned the fundamentals of launching a product to market. Pitching the concept and representing the team at expos showcased the vision, progress, and achievements to interested developers, leading to the opportunity to present at GDC 2024 and give a talk at the Ministry of Culture of Peru.
Press and Media
Perú Party was featured in multiple national media outlets, such as RPP Noticias (Live TV), El Comercio newspaper, and La República.
It was also highlighted in articles by the University of Lima and showcased at the Perú Con Ciencia fair organized by CONCYTEC (National Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation).
