ABOUT ATLAS
Atlas is a sci-fi walking simulator set in the distant future on the planet Eleos, where powerful corporations control nearly every aspect of human civilization. Players inhabit an advanced AI android called "Atlas" tasked with investigating the abandoned Demeter Station, a massive terraforming facility. To solve the mystery, the player must uncover why the station’s scientists vanished and reveal the dark secrets hidden within its walls through a gripping, immersive narrative.
CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT
Atlas is an immersive science fiction walking simulator, developed with the Unreal Engine 5. The game features several game accessibility options to adjust to various kinds of disabilities.
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
As part of a Master's thesis (completed) with a grade of 1.0 (A+) which included game design, narrative design, level design, 2D & 3D art, programming, sound design.
NARRATIVE DESIGN
My work included
- Worldbuilding and environmental storytelling centered on climate change, terraforming, and systemic corruption
- Drafting and implementing text logs (journal entries) as the primary medium for narrative discovery
- Pacing the narrative arc through level layouts to ensure a cohesive, atmospheric player experience
TEXT LOGS (JOURNAL ENTRIES)
Text logs can be found on data tablets scattered throughout the station, allowing players to restore fragmented memories within the playable "Atlas" android unit. These logs served as a personal diary for Dr. Yoon Hana, providing an optional narrative layer that revealed her history and the station's downfall through recovered data.
DATA PADS
Data pads that players could discover while exploring provided extra visual context through images and descriptive text, offering supplementary information about the station and the world within Atlas.
LEVEL DESIGN
My work included
- Designing and blocking out narrative environments and level layouts
- Implementing interactive systems and narrative triggers in-engine
- Environmental storytelling through set dressing and visual cues
PHASE 1
During the early stages of development, I designed the rough layouts for every playable area to establish a clear vision for the structure and flow of each level. This phase focused on pacing to ensure the player has enough space to absorb the atmosphere between story points.
PHASE 2
I blocked out the general structure by modeling individual modules in Blender, which were then integrated into Unreal Engine for further development. This allowed me to test the proportions and spatial flow of the environment before proceeding with the final art pass.
PHASE 3
Once the layout was functional, I replaced the blockout modules with high-fidelity assets. I placed narrative props and used lighting to draw the player’s attention to points of interest while subtly guiding them through the world.
GAME ACCESSIBILITY
My work included
- Researching & defining gameplay-specific accessibility standards and player profiles for the walking simulator genre
- Developing & programming core gameplay accessibility features & implementing them within the game engine
- Designing an accessible user interface to ensure all settings are clearly discoverable & easily configurable
Content from Youtube can't be displayed due to your current cookie settings. To show this content, please click "Consent & Show" to confirm that necessary data will be transferred to Youtube to enable this service. Further information can be found in our Privacy Policy. Changed your mind? You can revoke your consent at any time via your cookie settings.
A preview of accessibility features available for the science fiction walking simulator 'Atlas'.
Text Overlay
Scan for interactive objects
Field of View
Adjustable UI size
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
- Brightness
- UI Scale (adjust the size of the user interface & in game text props)
- Field of View
- High Contrast Display (mutes environment colors & adds distinct contrast to interactive props)
- Colorblind Mode
AUDITIVE IMPAIRMENT
- Several adjustable Audio Volumes
- Subtitles
- Text-to-Speech
- Closed Captions
MOTOR/COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
- Controls can be remapped
- Control Scheme for mouse/keyboard & controller available
- Adjust sensitivity of controls
- Invert camera/mouse controls
- Options for repeated button presses (Tap or Hold)
- Text Overlay
SCREENSHOTS
ATLAS · Walking Sim / Mystery · First Person · Single Player
- - -
This game was developed as part of a Master’s thesis at the Kempten University of Applied Sciences, focused on the development of an accessible walking simulator.
Walking simulators were chosen because of their strong emphasis on narrative design, level design and environmental storytelling, therefore providing an ideal foundation for researching and implementing accessibility features.
As part of the thesis, genre-defining walking simulators were analyzed to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, ultimately guiding the development of a fully accessible walking simulator.