Chocolate Emergency Development
Below is a summary of my development process for creating Chocolate Emergency. I discuss the major steps I took and why, as well as what types of tools I used in each phase.
Step 01: Brainstorming and Research
For this project, I wanted to create a scenario that would teach the user how to react in a stressful, potentially high-pressure situation. I wanted the gameplay to be primarily based on dialogue choices, with some simple object investigation mechanics layered in to add depth to the gameplay experience. ​
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After brainstorming several ideas, I chose to create a scenario around a child accidentally letting a dog eat chocolate. This appealed to me because it would require the player to decide the best way to help the dog while also having to manage the emotions of the child, who is on the verge of panic. The goal of the scenario was to teach both how to properly respond in an emergency while also showing empathy for others involved in the crisis.
Once I had decided on a subject matter, I did research several relevant topics, including what to do if a dog eats chocolate, how to respond in an emergency situation, and how to help a child manage their emotions.
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Tools: LibreOffice​
Step 02: Mapping Out the Scenario
The next step was to create a flowchart of all the major decisions the player would be able to make during the scenario. This allowed me to quickly explore how the dialogue options would interplay with the object investigation choices without getting bogged down with scripting out mechanics yet. It also helped me decide which choices would become relevant later in the scenario, when the player is deciding how best to help the dog.
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Tools: Miro​
Step 03: Wireframes
After completing a flowchart of the scenario and its major decision points, I began planning the visual layout of the slides I would need to create. I created simple wireframes of the slide compositions, which allowed me to quickly and easily experiment with different ideas. My goal at this phase was to create slides that displayed their information clearly and felt visually consistent with each other. ​
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Tools: Miro​
Step 04: Storyline Prototype
Once I had a complete flowchart of the game and wireframes for my key slides, I began working in Storyline. I focused mainly on the functionality of the game and making sure that it played as expected, while using simple graphics and placeholder text as stand-ins. This allowed me to work out any issues with the mechanics and overall flow of the scenario before committing to final visuals and copy.
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Tools: Storyline, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Stock​
Step 05: Storyline Polish Pass
The final phase of development involved updating my visual elements, writing the final copy for my dialogue choices, and refining my animations and transitions. I also playtested the game several more times to check for any bugs I might have missed and to make sure that the updated visuals and animations felt right in the finished product.
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Tools: Storyline, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Stock​
