OXENFREE II: Lost Signals

To expand on the radio mechanic from OXENFREE, we gave Riley a new kind of radio: a walkie-talkie that gives her access to a number of new contacts, characters whose stories overlap with their supernatural investigation. I designed and implemented this feature, working with my design team to build content that breadcrumbs interesting interactions that weave between main quest plot points.

We wanted to continue our tradition of maps that feel hand-made. The OXENFREE II map is reminiscent of Thomas Guide maps or theme park maps, with Riley’s handwritten notes sprinkled throughout as the player reached certain plot points or made certain choices. This made our map feel organic and integrated, like an artifact from the story that evolved with your progress and choices. I designed the map system and implemented all features, while providing our art and narrative team with clear direction that accomplished these goals.

Expanding on the tape deck mechanic from OXENFREE, our fictionalized oscilloscopes had players adjusting knobs to form a picture from the noise. I made initial designs for the feature, and worked closely with our tech artist to bring it into reality.

OXENFREE II went big on big moments. One of the most complex scenes was the community center scene, which saw the characters chasing each other around a building that rotated a complete 90 degrees to its side. I guided the team through this challenge, which required exacting coordination of the scene elements to keep it interactive the whole way through. The team had to solve difficult technical problems like characters walking and climbing on walls, determinate physics, and branching player paths.