Platform: Mobile (Steam version to be released 2024)
Roles: Creative Director, Lead Game Designer, UX/UI Design & Art
Additional: UI Effects & Animations
When setting out to develop Where’s Fido?, we had a decision to make on how we wanted the game to look and feel. The obvious route would have been to develop the traditional 2D style. However, we were keen on trying to take a different approach.
First came the brainstorming of how the game will look. Our first hidden object game Search & Find - Hidden Objects and our second one, Search & Find GO were both developed in 2D, so it seemed safer to consider making the new game in 2D as well. It was familiar for our players too! We had, however, always questioned the idea of what a hidden object game would look and feel like in a 3D environment on mobile, as there have been very few created in this style.
When deciding on the art style we would like to explore, we came across the wonderful 3D assets created by Synty Studios; low-poly, vibrant and fun. These fitted the bill. Initially we tried out a level whereby you had to find different objects within the scene; a fire-hydrant, a satellite dish, etc. This was fine, but it still felt like every other hidden object game where you must find different objects within a scene.
From the outset, we wanted to keep the mechanics of how some of the traditional hidden object games are played, by being able to move the camera on a 2D plane. With the game being presented in a 3D world, we did think about allowing the player to move through the 3D environment to find the dogs. The concern we had with this was that we are already presenting the game in a non-traditional way without the addition of having players trying to navigate a 3D world.
Developing the game in 3D also came with the benefit of being able to add movement to the screen. With traditional 2D hidden object games the screen can be very static. With the game running in a 3D world, it allows movement such as vehicles, people walking and talking and incidental animations, it brings the screen to life more. It’s great to be able to use the 3D perspective to hide and reveal dogs.
I was also responsible for all the UX/UI design and implementation.
