For the Staffs-Panivox Narrative Dev Jam, I stepped into the role of a game producer for the first time by leading a team of 4 developers and managing the production of a serious game, which had to be developed within a 2-week period and use Panivox’s RichCast platform.

NEVERGREEN is a game for impact on the topic of the climate crisis, which was developed using the RichCast platform. The interactive narrative experience puts the player into the role of anthropomorphic animals, who must flee their home of Evergreen in search of safety elsewhere, due to the impact of the climate crisis.

Through utilising much of what I was taught in my Narratology for Games module at university, I knew the fundamentals of creating a game narrative and how that could be applied to the RichCast platform, in addition to project management tools, such as asset lists and project planners.

I proactively researched waterflow production workflows that I could use in conjunction with the Gantt chart tools that I had been accustomed to through my studies. After this, I enlisted the help of an artist, designer, and composer (remote) to begin realising our game idea.

By way of facilitating communication between the disciplines and following the established plans, schedules, and workflows, we were able to deliver a cohesive game that had a branching narrative, distinct art style, and poignant music that raises awareness of the climate crisis.

In the end, the game was awarded 1st place in the competition. To celebrate, I organised a team meal at our local Japanese restaurant, which we collectively funded with our prize winnings.