The Project
A World of My Own is a quiet, atmospheric island exploration game built for UCLA’s Worldbuilding course. Designed to let the player take initiative, it has no dialogue and lets the player take control. Visually, I tried to use the dense fog and sweeping beam of the lighthouse to instigate curiosity in the player, inviting them to explore further.
What I Did & Creative Approach
I built the full environment from scratch, including layout, lighting, and scripting. My creative approach was to treat the environment itself as the narrator telling my brief story. Since I relied heavily on asset bashing and softboxing, my primary focus was on atmosphere, composition, and lighting to create a cohesive world. I was surprised by how much atmosphere and storytelling you can pull off with minimal mechanics, and how well landmarks and subtle visual cues can guide player attention and behavior.
Why I did this project
I made this because I wanted to express myself through worldbuilding, not dialogue or plot, just space and mood. It was my first time building an environment meant to feel lived-in and reflective. I wanted to see if I could draw players in through the atmosphere alone.
What I Learned
This project showed me how powerful world design and environmental storytelling can be, even with minimal mechanics. I learned the importance of landmarks and subtle visual cues in leading player attention, and how the authenticity of these worlds comes from details.