Tutorializing the Game

The introduction and first level of the game was particularly hard to build. We knew early on The Wind and the Wisp would have several onboarding challenges because of its complex player and player character relationships, how to make the player feel like they are in the game, and teaching people the blowing mechanic. 

The first 5 minutes of the game sets up a few very important moments. 

1. Calibration. In calibration we introduce:

   • The idea that the player will need to blow into the microphone as the core mechanic. 

   • The dandelion UI that appears whenever the player is near an object they must blow on to solve a puzzle. 

   • Blowing will trigger Wind, which is the player's presence in the game. "Wind is your presence in the world." 

2. Introduction to the first level. The Wisp pacing around on their own, independent of the player's control. The dandelion UI appears prompting the player to blow, and by blowing, the player gets the Wisp's attention. The Wisp walks up to the camera and looks right into the player's eyes, confused about who you are. Shortly after, the camera zooms out and tells players they can use WASD to move the Wisp freely. The player has control of, and should feel like both. 

Calibration

Calibration was a technical requirement for the game. We needed to calibrate to the player's relative sound levels to ensure that background noise doesn't set off the microphone and trigger a blow. Since calibration was already a requirement for the game, we took advantage of it by adding some narrative elements. 

For example, we introduce the Wind as a character before the Wisp. Early playtest data showed us players were only identifying with the Wisp (which is also a natural response, since the Wisp is the visible, on-screen character at all times. The Wind can only be seen when the player blows). 

Two Characters: the Wind and the Wisp

The introduction moment of getting the Wisp's attention, aside from being cute and endearing, also sets up that the Wisp is cognizant of the player's existence. This moment feels more like a first person game as the Wisp stares straight at the camera. The player then blows again, the Wisp plays a happy giggle animation, and signals for the player to follow them. UI appears telling the player "WASD to move the Wisp around freely" and from there they have direct control over the Wisp. The player WASDs around a little, getting used to the movement, and not long after, the Wisp is met with an impassable river and a dandelion. The player is prompted to blow into the microphone, which poofs the dandelion seeds into the breeze, and the Wisp gets swept off with it as well. We teach players that the two characters have unique control schemes, and also have unique gameplay functions. There are certain obstacles each character can and cannot overcome on their own, so the player must use both of them to progress in the game. By setting up that the Wisp needs the Wind in order to move past obstacles and make forward progress in the world, we are setting up a relationship in which the player is helping the Wisp. They are the literal wind beneath the Wisp’s wings. 

Playtesting showed us that a common most memorable moment amongst playtesters was the introduction animation. When they blew into the microphone and got the Wisp's attention. We not only took this learning and really milked it more (adding the sad animation and shocked animations, and the little inviting wave were additions once we saw how much players enjoyed this moment), and used it to inform our future design decisions.

What this revealed is that just using the player’s body as input to the game is not enough to give them a sense of presence. Wisp acknowledging the player and breaking the fourth wall is what gives a sense of presence and creates a feeling of connection. If we continue to design interactions driven by player input and Wisp output, more attachment will form. Although the player might not feel like Wind themselves, they will feel attachment to the Wisp by blowing into the microphone. By having the Wisp acknowledge the player as well, we successfully introduced the idea that the player is some force that is separate from the Wisp. (continue reading in Attachment and Loss)

Playtesting also helped reveal to us that players were not remembering blowing as the core mechanic of the game. They would come up against the dandelion or the wall of fog and simply forget to blow. We resolved this issue by adjusting our sequencing and introducing blowing in the game as the first interaction (even before WASD to move the Wisp). The original opening, the player had immediate control of the Wisp. We added the intro animation sequence showing the Wisp pacing. This original sequence only required one blow and oftentimes players triggered it by mistake. We added more mini beats to this animation sequence, which requires the players to blow 3 times before being able to WASD the Wisp. These additional beats, along with the updated calibration that asks the player to blow multiple times, built up a stronger muscle memory in players to keep an eye out for the dandelion UI appearing, and try blowing when they are stuck.