Before, there was Ava

This project came to life because of our frustration with the predictability of horror films. We started investigating what entertainment is and why the regular use of clichés can ruin the experience.

We discovered that the unexpected in itself is a pleasant event. If it's the expectations set by the user that lead to surprise, breaking them is capable of generating highly satisfying experiences. We aimed to create a game detached from the clichés and stigmas prevalent in entertainment, breaking the expectations of what the user believes to be expected, mainly how he interacts with the medium.

Recognizing the impact of entertainment on society's perception of specific subjects, we chose Dissociative Identity Disorder as a theme. DID is commonly misrepresented by the media that perpetuate harmful stigmas with the mere desire to create more exciting narratives. This provides us with the opportunity to offer a good representation while having a significant impact on the player who lives the story, rather than just watches it. Besides, in a certain way, not following the stigma created by media in itself is breaking the player's expectations.

We had to think backward to create the story, focusing on our desired outcomes for the player and then backtracking to outline the main plot while we built our characters. Because we wanted the highest immersion in the magic circle, the player's character had to be bland and full of ambiguity. We chose not to portray DID in the first person since it is not our reality; thus, we cannot create an authentic portrayal. In this sense, the player isn't the story's main character but rather a companion to the protagonist's journey.

The story itself revolves around the main character Kiska and the trauma that led her to develop DID. Before there was Ava has several possible events that explore different aspects of Kiska's alters, leading to branching paths and endings. Each route and interaction was plotted first and then translated to the final scenes; this made each mechanic and visual intrinsically connected.

The player has to navigate his friendship with Kiska, getting to know her 7 alters and trying to figure out how this eerie farm they stumble upon relates to her past. At the same time, it is about respecting boundaries, the impact of your choices, the importance of platonic relationships, and investigating a thrilling mystery about a creepy cult.

The visual aspects of the game were thought to strengthen the story and its aesthetic. It guides the player, indicating what's essential and encouraging them to keep on investigating. The interface follows a minimal design to guarantee immersion in the game, while elements such as the speech bubbles symbolise aspects of each character's personality and speech patterns.

The amazing Monique Alencar (AKA Nickyzilla) did all of the scenery and character art. However, the UI and other supporting elements were created by the rest of the team to represent the player's interaction with the world.