Based on the 'core framework' of Charmie 2012
Based on Vogler 2021
Story
Working in the home office, getting food delivered, meeting friends online - who needs to leave the house anyway? This doesn't seem to be an unusual lifestyle these days. Elli by all means likes it and her apartment is her retreat, her safe place. Admittedly, she was always a bit shy but she never thought of it as a problem. That is until one day she realises her life has become very small and her fears have taken control over her.
Gameplay
Similar to an escape room, the goal of the game is to find a way out of the house. Piece by piece the player gets more information and learns more about Elli and her story. In this way, the player can support Elli and accompany her on her journey to conquer her fears. By completing tasks and solving puzzles the story goes further, while not all of the player's decisions have the desired outcome. But it is worth it to keep going! Empathy and compassion are two of the most important things in this game - just as they are in life.
Theoretical
background
The concept for 'Elli's home' is part of my master's thesis, in which I developed not only the game design and a dramaturgical framework for the story, but also did a comprehensive scientific research about social anxiety disorder and conducted an expert interview with a certified psychotherapist. It was important to learn more about the condition in order to decide what content to address in the game. Since mental illness is a sensitive topic, the profound basic knowledge was also of great importance for a sensitive approach. In order to get an overview of already developed games that treat mental illnesses and social anxiety disorder in particular, I also did a market research.
Feel free to take a look at the table of contents and a brief excerpt from the game design here (german).
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