nuha alkadi
narrative designer
DISCO IS DEAD!
ABOUT THE GAME
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Plays with custom built zombie head and disco ball controllers
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Reboot of original Disco is Dead! (2016) that won Sheridan's Arcade Sprint Week Challenge
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Created in Unity
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September 2016 - April 2017 (8 month project)
PREMISE
Disco is Dead! (2017) is a narrative-driven co-op arcade game that follows the story of two disco-loving cops who must save their city from a zombie outbreak with their ultimate handy dandy weapon… slapping! The game is played with custom zombie head and disco ball controllers for a more immersive experience.
MY ROLE
Lead Narrative Designer
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Led narrative team of 3 with brainstorming sessions and weekly narrative-focused meetings.
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Conducted research on 1970s -1980s era and social norms, disco genre and 70s slang to define game's themes and story.
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Worked with narrative team and level designer to properly lay out story/gameplay flow and players' goals.
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Designed 4 character profiles, created flowcharts for non-linearity and developed story beat maps.
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Written 40-paged cutscene script and 30+ pages of character barks for in-game runner levels that supports game’s philosophy and overall vision.
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Managed all scripts, outlines, treatments and other story-related documentation throughout dialogue asset creation pipeline
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Directed storyboards and visual storytelling with artists, animator and UI lead.
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Actively iterated and tested custom-built narrative tools and game prototypes with lead programmer.
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Casted and directed 7 voice-over actors' performances and improv in recording sessions with sound designer.
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Organized all recording sessions and auditions such as planning dates, booking studio times, equipment rentals, managing paperwork, and keeping track of what needs to be recorded.
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Edited, implemented and QA tested all 750+ dialogue files into custom-built game engine tool.
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Represented game by managing social media presence and head communications and inquiries.
READ THE SAMPLE STORY SCRIPT HERE!
READ ONE OF THE BARKS SCRIPTS HERE!
DESIGN CHALLENGES
My job entailed redefining the genre of "buddy cop" by designing the players' relationship as an engaging interactive experience through the game's narrative. By adding both cooperative and competitive events to the game's story, the two players will start to produce off-screen conflict, replicating the feeling of the genre. By carefully designing the players' cooperative and competitive nature, the game allows the two players to bond and enhance their relationship, and truly feel like buddy cops themselves.
PROCESS SHOTS
WATCH THE TRAILER