The NYU Game Center Showcase 2024
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⟢Thesis
⟢Capstone
⟢Studio II
⟢Major Studio
⟢Mosaic
Silencer
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For MFA Thesis
Silencer is a narrative game about propaganda and information control. The oppressive government has been overthrown recently, but the new regime is just as bad. And the player is a bottom-level news censor working for the new government.
Interview:
✧In one or two sentences, what is your game about?
The player is a bottom-level news censor employed by the new government. They interpret censorship protocols, read news articles, and decide if a news article should be taken down. Should they silence dissent for the government or let people be heard?
✧Were there difficult moments when developing the game? What led to those difficult moments? What did you learn from it?
As a solo developer, it is easy to lose sight when something goes wrong with the project—whether it is a major bug that I couldn’t fix for two weeks or a playtest that didn’t go well. I may start doubting the project and, most importantly, doubting myself. In that situation, I needed something to get myself motivated again, and eventually, I learned that identifying exactly what made me disappointed at that moment was my lifeline.
There was a playtest session at GDC. A lot of players didn’t respond to my game well and told me I had too much writing. But “reading” news articles had been the most essential part of the game. I was dejected for probably two weeks until I tested my game with a completely different demographic—the music composers and students from CAS. They LOVED to read, and my game offered them all the news articles. So I began to wonder that maybe the demographic at the GDC playtest session was not my audience, and it was okay.
I suddenly realized that I had become too obsessed with the idea of getting everyone to like my game, even though I knew from the beginning that I was targeting a very specific audience. I had got myself distracted and overloaded with unrealistic expectations. Once I had that awareness, I was motivated enough again to keep pushing the project forward.
✧Were there darlings that you had to kill? What were they? Why was the decision made to remove them from the project, and what were the reasons that you like the darling so much?
There were too many news articles that I wrote but had to leave out. Some just did not fit the narrative structure. Some were fantastic, but given the scope of the current build, I had to cut them for future development.
At this moment, these stories all live in a happy and peaceful spreadsheet, calmly located in a beautiful shrine I built in Google Drive.
✧Talk about your teammates! What was everyone’s role?
Diane Wang is the writer and solo dev of this project, but she thinks she’s talked enough about herself and her processes, so it’s time to celebrate her supporters!
The game is for my mom, Duoyu Li, because she did her best as a news editor.
The amazing music is composed by Aaron Schondorf. The SFX is done by Joseph Lim.
The beautiful art is created by Sia Yang, Samira Herber, and Evie Wang.
The game has been supported by the NYU Game Center faculty—Dr. Clara Fernandez-Vara (my advisor), Winnie Song, Lawra Clark, Shawn Pierre, and Matt Parker.
And special thanks to my external advisor, Lucas Pope, whose works and encouraging words are still my inspiration.
play this game on itch.io
https://www.ruochongwang.com/