Role: Lead Designer

Duration: September 2017-December 2017

Technologies: Unity, C#, WebGL

The Tree of Forgotten Dreams was an interactive performance project at the Woodford Folk Festival 2017, produced by Folly Games. During the Festival, a circus performance was performed that told the plight of the Tree of Forgotten Dreams, a spiritual tree that was dying in a modern world that no longer valued hopes and dreams. The Ravens of the tree (performed by Michelle Zahner and Regan Ainslie) present a circus and performance act each day of the festival that told a story inspired by the Norse myth of Hugin and Munin, Odins ravens.

During the day, a series of puzzles would be laid around the festival that patrons could interact with and solve. By solving the puzzles laid out, the players could affect the outcome of the performance that evening, and ultimately try and save the Tree of Forgotten Dreams.

Online ARG – Website and Social Media

In the lead up to the performance, I created an online campaign in the form of an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) to draw attention to the upcoming event. The ARG consisted of a series of puzzles that would be posted online, and players would solve the puzzles via a web game hosted by Folly Games, and submit them to a specified facebook account. The winnder of the ARG got a free ticket to the Woodford Folk Festival.

Skills Related to Online ARG

• Social Media posting and engagement
• Puzzle design
• Creation and Distribution of Unity WebGL builds to a web page

On-site Set and Puzzles

During the five days of the Woodford Folk Festival, during the day there would be puzzle boxes set up next to the Tree of Forgotten Dreams (pictured above). During the day players would look at clues set up next to the boxes and would have to go elsewhere in the festival grounds to find the solutions to open the box. Inside the boxes would be some sort of item or knowledge that could be used in the performances later that evening to solve some sort of problem the Ravens would come across.

Skills Related to Project:

• Physical Puzzle Design and Creation
• Project Management
• Collaboration and teamwork with non-games disciplines
• Prop design and creation

Interactive Performance

After unlocking (or not unlocking) the puzzle for that day, players would deliver the items to the performers to continue the story. Failing to get the item would change the story of the performance and hinder the healing of the Tree.

And although the players failed to saved the Tree of Forgotten Dreams, its spirit lived on in a seedling that players were able procure and deliver.