Portfolio / Game project
Rite of Entry
Role
Game & Narrative Designer
Team
7 people
Duration
5-day workshop
Category
Game project
Portfolio / Game project
In a lonely coastal lighthouse, a keeper is responsible for inspecting incoming ships and deciding which ones are allowed to enter the port. As an unknown presence rises from the sea, reality begins to distort, and the player's perception can no longer be fully trusted.
Over time, the line between truth and hallucination fades, turning each inspection into a psychological and narrative enigma where every decision carries consequences.
Rite of Entry is a Papers, Please-like game set in a Lovecraftian-inspired universe.
Developed as a school project by a multidisciplinary team, the game focuses on systemic narrative design, atmospheric storytelling, and player-driven consequences through a structured inspection gameplay loop.
The player uses multiple tools (rulebook, radio, spyglass) to analyze incoming ships and determine whether they should be granted access to the port.
Rite of Entry allowed me to explore how narrative and gameplay can be deeply interconnected through systemic design. I focused on creating a gameplay loop where interpretation and uncertainty are central to the player experience.
The project also strengthened my ability to design coherent systems that support storytelling, while working within a small multidisciplinary team.
One of the key learnings was the importance of scope management and early validation of narrative systems, especially in projects driven by writing and atmosphere.