Pablo Fernández-Vega Padilla

Design and prototype all game mechanics, including 3D driving, a branching dialogue system, and an interactive map.
Define the city's structure to align with the narrative of the characters.
Design and prototype characters with unique behaviors based on the driving style.

Another key element in the plot is the Items and their management. Clients will give and request Items, which will unlock some options but block others. It is up to the player to decide whether to give the object now or wait to see if another client offers something better.

In the early iterations of the game, Items were purely based on a sprite that appeared and disappeared. However, in the latest update, I realized that this could be a tool for providing clues, defining clients, or even challenging facts they have stated. Thus, objects have become an essential element in the narrative, enhancing the decision trees while having importance in their own right.

The shop, on the other hand, serves as a counterbalance to this. The shop provides Items but can also buy them from the player, putting him/her in the position of choosing between a valuable opportunity and a significant sum of money (which also opens up narrative lines). Once again, I pose a difficult question for the player to answer, which, from their perspective, is neither good nor bad.

Conceptualization of the character along with their backstory.
Writing all the dialogues in the game.
Setting up the narrative in the game engine, exploring each of the available options.
Establishing a decision map locked by objects and/or money.

No Choice is a highly narrative-driven game, and I made sure that all design aspects were geared towards this focus. The primary intention is to make the game immersive, allowing the player to fully step into the role of the taxi driver. To achieve this, I opted for very simple controls (four buttons), which create a different first impression from the usual games. However, as the game progresses, the desired effect is achieved. Various industry colleagues who have tested the game have confirmed this. Additionally, the game features different passengers who present three options to the player, each affecting the "mood" of the client, which in turn influences the earnings from each ride. Understanding the character in the car is essential for making money (which will result in more options in the future) and for gathering more information about the killer. The structure is a decision tree where, unlike other games of this genre, there are multiple endings for each character, making every decision count from both a mechanical and narrative perspective. Certain decisions provide clues that go into a case folder, while others are locked based on choices made (or not made) with other passengers or the same client. In line with the narrative importance, I added a newspaper that acts as a compass for the state of the world (and therefore the characters entering the car), as well as an agent who gives the player hints in the form of references that appear in the characters' dialogues. However, owning this newspaper is optional. It's up to the player whether they want to invest part of their earnings in it or not. This is one of the game's core principles: not putting barriers in front of the player. When presenting a decision, I don't label it as right or wrong; I leave that to the player's morality. My intention as a designer was to create a world with characters that challenge the player, not by guiding them through the options but by having those options lead to logical consequences.

As can be seen in the image above, the Miro diagram branches out significantly and becomes independent from the routes. However, the characters have undergone several iterations. Initially, there were many characters with little backstory, where the focus was on their extravagance and oddness (similar to what happens in "Papers, Please"). But the game has evolved into a more detective-like narrative, featuring a few characters who discuss the central theme of the game (the chaos caused by war) from unique perspectives. This point of view combines gameplay, the nature of the client, and the client's mechanics. An example of this is James. He represents "ignorance towards war," the type of person who doesn't care because their life is already chaotic. He is a nervous person, with a shaky dialogue, who doesn't really know what he wants. This is reflected in his gameplay, which constantly changes direction and tests the player's patience to see if he/she can really get to know him.

Structuring the characters to scale progressively throughout the game.
Introducing a unique mechanic in each character to ensure they are presented in a gradual manner.
Defining the Screen Flow and Core Loop of the game.
Conceptualizing the city in terms of size and points of interest to fit with each character's narrative.

The first iteration of the city aimed to represent the inhabited world and social context there is a poor neighborhood with smaller buildings, alleys, and dead ends, making navigation difficult... and a wealthy neighborhood where buildings are much taller, streets longer, and there are monuments, leisure areas, and secure zones like hospitals and police stations. However, while I maintained this approach of aligning the city's design with the narrative, I found it wasn't fun. Therefore, in the second iteration, I structured a much smaller city that encapsulated all these elements within a few streets but made it more dynamic and varied.

For the third iteration, with a redesigned driving system using splines that allow for curves, elevation changes, and everything that simulates driving, I opted for a dynamic map that changes with each client. Now, the city is "another client" that reflects the state of society, where streets are blocked by protests, there are construction works on some days, demonstrations, new potholes... This adds more dynamism to the city and aligns with the narrative being told at that moment.

During the first two iterations, there was a minimap in the upper left corner that indicated the direction to follow with an arrow and a red dot marking the client's destination. Although this map was functional and the feedback we received indicated that it was very helpful, I decided to replace it with a traditional map similar to the one in "Silent Hill". The players must discover the city just as they do with the characters, and this is achieved by exploring it. It doesn't matter if they get lost for a few streets or find a hidden shortcut through a dialogue option because that means they are learning.

Whenever they encounter an obstacle, a blocked road, or any relevant information about the map, it will be updated accordingly. This not only enhances immersion, as the taxi driver is doing what was done in the era the game is set in, but also reinforces the societal changes through the evolving city.