INTRODUCTION

Welcome to a virtual world full of mystery and enigmas, where your imagination is free to roam and create a unique experience. In this game, you find yourself in a dark, nocturnal environment with a dizzying atmosphere. But with a shooting star as your guide, you'll embark on a journey through a labyrinthine space surrounded by clouds and mirrored walls. This article will delve into the concept, gameplay, and atmosphere of this one-of-a-kind sensory adventure, "In The Clouds". 

The ENSAG class "S6OE-TERRITOIRE JEUX VIDÉO," taught by Mme Magali Paris and M. Walter Simone, provided an opportunity to learn about and experiment with photogrammetry. Together with my partner Aurélien LEROUGE, we took around sixty photos using a smartphone. Then, with the help of AUTODESK RECAP PHOTO and RECAP PRO, we generated both a mesh and a point cloud of our physical paper model. This digital representation allowed us to bring the model into the virtual world. We manipulated, scaled, and duplicated it, importing it into our game engine, UNREAL ENGINE, to create the imaginary environment for our project. 

Our video game, "In The Clouds," will be available for download on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. We are currently in the process of programming the gameplay using visual scripting (blueprint) in UNREAL ENGINE. Our goal is to create a sensitive environment with an atmospheric immersion. In other words, the environment is based on our physical paper model that has been transformed into a mesh and point cloud in the virtual world. The game will represent a dream with contemplations, optical illusions, interactions between the player-dreamer's body and objects in the virtual model, such as luminous or opaque points, colored circles, platforms, doors, etc. 

Each aesthetic perception, functional use, or sensory and emotional experience of the player-dreamer generates a unique atmosphere, creating the immersive atmosphere of the game. The game is a poetic, sensitive, enticing, playful, and fun space that is all about enjoyment. 

OBJECTIVE

Our aim is to work within a context created from our imagination. The idea is to stay freer so that we can project our sensitive imagination into a virtual world full of mystery and puzzles. The cloud environment evokes both the theme of dreams and water. 

SCENARIO

The player wakes up and finds themselves in a dark environment with a night atmosphere. They are dizzy and don't know where they are. Starting with a black fade, the readability gradually becomes clearer. The player (dreamer) notices a shooting star that wanders through space and arrives at a place where it falls. The dreamer approaches it to pick it up and use it as a torch to light their way and discover the surroundings to find the exit of this labyrinthine space surrounded by clouds and shimmering walls. The player eventually finds the exit, approaches it, enters it... and wakes up in the real world with a white fade. 


GAMEPLAY

"Find the Light and Solve the Mystery"

The goal of "In The Clouds" is simple: recover the light symbolized by a shooting star and find the clues and objects that lead to the exit of this labyrinthine universe. The game is played in first-person perspective, where you control an anonymous character with only their transparent white hands visible. 

EXPLORING THE IMAGINATIVE WORLD

You are free to move and explore the space, discovering passages, paths, and platforms that sometimes lead upwards and sometimes downwards. The player must use their shooting star to light the way and overcome the difficulties of the transition spaces. With fantastic music and ambient sound effects, this game is both a sensory experience and an adventure that will take you on a journey to the exit door. 



AMBIANCES

"Lost in an Optical Illusion"

In "In The Clouds", the player is surrounded by an atmosphere of optical illusions, where dots and colored circles are sometimes static and sometimes animated and interactive. The clouds are the main element of this imaginary universe, evoking feelings of lightness and flight. The movement of the character creates sequences reminiscent of pointillist paintings, optical art, and the works of artists such as Georges Seurat, Claude Monet, and Victor Vasarely. 

MORAL OF THE GAME

"Breaking the Routine of Reality"

The idea behind "In The Clouds" is to break free from the monotony of the real world and immerse yourself in a dynamic, mysterious, and fantastic world filled with imagination. It's a sensitive experience that will take you on a journey beyond reality and awaken your senses. 


PHYSICAL MODEL

"Translating Imagination into Reality"

The physical model for "In The Clouds" was created using white paper, with the intention of freeing the imagination of the player. The model was created using sixty photographs taken with a smartphone, which were then digitized using Autodesk Recap Photo and Recap Pro. The digitization process allowed the team to manipulate and import the model into the video game engine, Unreal Engine, to create the imaginary environment of the game. 

CONCLUSION

"In The Clouds" is a unique sensory experience that takes you on a journey through an imaginary world filled with mystery and enigmas. With fantastic music and ambient sound effects, this game is both a sensitive experience and an adventure that will take you beyond reality. So grab your shooting star and embark on an unforgettable journey in "In The Clouds".