If Found, Please Return

If Found, Please Return is an intimate story, told through diary entries, in which players zoom into details, much like Google Maps, in which emerging details reveal themselves further. Challenges arose in technical limitations on level of zoom, there being a single player path from which players could not stray without getting lost, and the zooming could feel static and non-interactive. The solution invisibly links different parts of the world while zooming, enabling structured stories, which split and loop back together. The second key design insight was the erasing. Players can erase everything onscreen, evoking loss and in doing so reveal more to be explored and erased. This addition complements the zooming and results in a cohesive experience, creating a rich playspace where everything is interactive, touchable and capable of surprising the player.

Additional Information

Award Category: Digital Design - Game Design
Designer(s): Llaura McGee
Entrant: DREAMFEEL
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