Here, you will discover the end-of-year project from my third year of studies. I'm very happy to present to you Dream Tale, a cooperative puzzle game !
Dream Tale revisits the classic myth of the Sandman to tell the story of his children.
You play as Kiara, the Sandman’s daughter. After a prophecy reveals she will usurp her brother's throne, he, consumed by rage, attempts to kill her. Their father intervenes but is fatally struck by his son. Forced to flee, Kiara escapes while her brother Kayle seizes control of the Dream Realm.
Years later, as the Dream Realm crumbles under the invasion of nightmares, Kiara embraces her destiny with the help of her new companion, Saisai.
Dream Tale was our final-year group project during my third year at CIME Art Studio Mercier.
Our team consisted of seven members, and I was the sole developer working on the game. Over the course of a year and a half of tireless dedication, I contributed significantly to the project. Let me walk you through the highlights of everything I accomplished !
The 'point of interest' camera mode will focus the camera on a specific point that the players need to reach. It will follow the players movements while keeping the point of interest at the center of the screen.
Camera "Point Of Interest"
The 'spline' camera mode will allow the camera to follow a predefined path in the world while keeping both players in view to ensure they remain clearly visible on the screen.
Camera "Spline"
The 'static' camera mode will allow the camera to position itself at a predefined point in the world and take its rotation as well, so it can focus on a specific phase of gameplay.
Camera "Static"
The 'average' camera mode will allow the camera to be freer, enabling players to move more freely in the desert. It will focus on a point representing the average of the players' positions. This will ensure the players stay on screen, and the camera will also rotate based on the players' direction.
Camera "Average"
To summarize, the different camera modes will allow the focus to shift across various phases of gameplay, providing better readability for the players while avoiding the use of split-screen! Each camera mode shares the same parameters, such as the rotation angle, the camera's movement speed, the rotation speed, and the speed and distance at which it can zoom in or out from the two players.
The Oasis is where players will learn all of their skills, such as the double jump and unique abilities like Kiara’s 'Move Vente in Vente' and Sai Sai’s ability to extract his soul from his body, allowing him to control it and move freely. He can also teleport his body to his soul or vice versa. Lastly, players will experience various interactions there.
Ascent Puzzle
During the ascent, there will be various puzzles that you will need to solve by using communication and cooperation !
The first one will involve guiding each other through the appearance of magical rocks triggered by pressure plates, then reaching totems that you must interact with simultaneously to continue your ascent.
For the next one, the same system with the same mechanics will be used, but in addition, a crystal will need to be activated and then lit using a rock that emits light.
Elevator Puzzle
For the next puzzle, you will simply need to reach the two totems to activate an elevator. This will allow you to reach the top of the ascent. However, once on the elevator, you will need to survive a rockfall that will intensify at certain points during the elevator's ascent !
Bell Puzzle
Once you reach the top, you will see a broken bell. Your goal will be to rebuild it using the pieces scattered around you.
Among the pieces, some will need to be pushed by two people, moving in the same direction to push them correctly, while others can be pushed alone.
Once all the pieces are gathered, the bell will regain its magic. You will simply need to make it ring to spread its magic and thus chase away the darkness that reigns over the dream world !
Now, I’m going to introduce you to the boss of Dream Tale, Kayle, who is Kiara’s brother, our main character. I’ll mainly focus on his abilities and how you’ll need to defeat him !
The fight against Kayle is not a direct battle. In fact, our characters don’t have direct attacks. You’ll need to rely on cooperation and strategy to defeat him through his various phases of combat.
