Samsara was a game conceptualized as a final project for one of my classes taken in University that correlated with the study of Buddhist art. The concept itself took the form of a Game Design Document I had drafted, and a Narrative Design Document created in part by myself and my partner in this project.

 

Although game design was a collaborative effort, narrative and quest design occurred largely independently, with collaborations occurring only in regards to the overall story progression from one city to the next. As for the Game Design Document, I transcribed all of our ideas in document form.

 

The game’s concept itself was inspired largely by Pokemon Arcaeus’ explorative segments, as the game not only sought to represent and teach about Buddhist history in South and East Asia, but was also intended to be a calming and even meditative gaming experience. 

 

A level design document was considered for this project, but because of the time constraints and the size of the project, it was cut in favour of our focus placed on the story, quests, and historical research. Still, a few levels were still conceptualized, and would have been an open world reminiscent of modern 3D JRPGs such as Ni no Kuni or Tales of Berseria with the occasional areas of linear restriction, most likely in areas that required stealth.