Reid Daniels

Task

This project began my sophmore year in the GIMM program. A multi year endeavour, we were tasked with creating a game from the ground up, being VR capable and having a complete experience available by the end of our senior year. This is where I decided to make Devil's Secretary. Starting from the idea of making a job simulator type game, the theme and ideas soared until what you see today.

Journey

Year One: We began the designing process by brainstorming a few ideas throughout the semester, from picking a few down to a single one. Our peers than helped progress that one idea to a feasible option.
Year Two: We took our idea and began prototyping with concept art and a small minigame example to get the idea across in Unity.
Year Three:From originally wanting it to be VR, once COVID-19 hit, it was hard to develop for VR without a headset, so I switched to AR. After a semester of making assets and a full level of gameplay, I was unhappy with what was made in AR. So, I bit the bullet, got a headset, and dove into VR.
Year Four: After not being happy with the results of my AR version, I went back to the drawing board, reconstructed the idea into VR, and developed what is present now. I can say for certain that this was the better move. After another year of development, my original game idea has started to take a real shape.

Roles

Lead Developer:

AI development using a State Machine to switch between wandering and escaping player.

Weapon mechanics such as damaging enemies and physics when colliding with objects.

Player controller and player UI elements to explore the landscape.

Lead Tester:

Tested gameplay elements weekly to check changes and debug errors.

Enlisted testers familiar and not familiar with VR to find unique sides for feedback

Lead Designer:

Particle systems used for Skulls and lightning blasts, having physics make sparks when colliding.

Gameplay loop, with collecting souls and returning them to work as well as the overall atmosphere

Story Narative, having a task to be done for the main antagonist as well as an end goal in mind to escape the situation.

Devil's Secretary 2.0 Gameplay Demo April 2022

This version of Devil's Secretary was after multiple rounds of testing with users, building on what they thought would be good additions. The atmosphere is different as well as the office itself is more intricate and lively, really feeling like a playable space.

Game Design Document for Devil's Secretary can be found here

Photo Gallery

Your soul has been ripped from your
body by a devil from Hell and you awake
in...an office space?

Harness the powers of Hell using the staff
supplied by your new overlord and
reclaim the workers.

The souls have taken over the
workplace! Use your new found power and
return these souls to their jobs!

These fools have destroyed the office!
It will be difficult to traverse this space
now to capture them...

The cubicles are all empty! No work is
getting done at all. Return these souls before
he claims your soul!

Well done! You have started returning
the workplace to proper order and the
souls back to their labor!

Devil's Secretary 1.0 Gameplay Demo December 2021

This is the first prototype of Devil's Secretary. The idea for this version was to make as many gameplay features as possible to test and make sure they function, then in the future implement changes based on user feedback and my own wants for the game.

Photo Gallery

The original version of the office,
bright and not hellish enough.

The staff is the center of your power.
Use it to return the souls to work.

Return the souls! Be a little rough
with them so they won't leave again!