SavgeBnana

Designer Statement:

Hi, my name is Rishi Natraj, and welcome to my developer page! Through the class Game Design 1 at UW-Madison, I explored and designed many different games. On my profile, you will find these games available to play: one mechanical game, one narrative game, and one serious game. Of all the different game elements we explored in this class, the ones that resonated with me most are the many different mechanics that can be used in games. Puzzles, platforming, and fighting were the 3 main types of mechanics that I found myself most drawn to. I believe the reason for this is that these 3 are the mechanics that I find most fun to play and have had memorable experiences playing, so I want to create these memorable experiences for those who play my games. In terms of narrative, I prefer to focus on mechanics over narrative, but I do believe that almost all games should have a narrative, even if it is super straightforward and basic. Having a narrative and a setting establishes the game world for the player, allowing them to immerse themselves in the game more easily than if the game has only mechanics and no narrative at all. Finally, coming to serious games, I really love the idea of using games as more than just an entertainment medium, but also a medium to convey some message to the player. The message that I wanted to convey through my serious game, which is a job application simulator, is how hard the current job market is, and how hopeless many applicants become due to this. However, this message is only based on my anecdotal experience, so when I make another serious game, I would like to spend more time than just a couple weeks of a semester to work on it and do tons of research so that the game accurately reflects the message I want to convey, rather than just based off anecdotes. As a game designer, the thing I want to be known for the most are innovative mechanics, since these are what I find most enjoyable to both play and create. In addition, I also want to be known for creating immersive worlds and good storytelling, regardless of the depth of the narrative. Finally, I want to be known for conveying impactful and well-researched messages through my games. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy playing my games!