What If Murphy... - Design Process

Project Overview

Team size: 1

Development time: 3 months

Project type: College projecthttps:

Platform: Browser

Tools: Twine, Miro, Adobe Audition, Adobe Photoshop

Store page: https://alisaneei.itch.io/what-if-murphy

Short Description

What If Murphy... is a a short interactive fiction about Harm OCD. 

Design Process

Important note: This part is about the process of designing this game with a focus on the narrative.

The Goal

With this game, my goal was to show the suffering of people with OCD and their possible reactions to it as best as I could.

The Constraints

• 3 months development time

• Multiple endings and non-linear storytelling

• Twine's limitations as a game engine

The Main Challenges and the Solutions I Found

• Making sure all the endings make sense with the rest of the story and that they all create a powerful emotional experience:

Because I was sure about including the three endings, I had to first imagine the story with all of them one by one to make sure they all fit the overall story. Then, when the writing was done, I played each storyline multiple times to make sure my desired emotional experience was in all of them. 

Based on the feedback I received from players, I can say that I reached my goal.

• Making sure the demonstration of OCD is accurate:

Because I wanted to deal with this subject with a serious and believable tone, I researched extensively about OCD, this specific subtype, and the struggles it creates. However, for the most part, my own experiences with the disorder acted as the main source of information.

Below, you can see the diagram I created during pre-production to define the player choices and their consequences. The final game's structure is almost identical, but there are also differences between them, such as how the third choice progresses and ends here versus in the game.