Under the Island: Embracing Exploration and Discovery in Game Design

Island News Issues #3

(1-2 minute read; 165 words)

In the world of Under the Islands, the key design principle is Explore and Discover. Recently, I learned a valuable lesson.

I had planned to create a small side task where players would collect trash on the beach. I had placed an NPC on the beach to assign players the task: “Collect all the trash on the beach.” However, this task felt more like work, lacking any real mental engagement.

At that moment, I recalled our design philosophy and found a solution to the problem. Instead of using an NPC to instruct players, I decided to provide visual cues, encouraging players to figure out what to do on their own. I removed the NPC entirely and introduced a trash bin with a recycling symbol. The task remained the same, but it suddenly felt different, as players had to come to the realization themselves. This made the game world more interactive, resembling a sandbox rather than a checklist of tasks.

Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments?

Have a great day!

Jojo