In Aberrance, I really wanted to focus on one of the biggest social issues people in our society face: trying to be "normal" and fitting in. Because of this, I designed an experience aimed at showing that our differences are what makes us stronger as a whole. I didn't want to make this message obvious to the players, so I designed the game to reflect this message through gameplay and visuals so the players would slowly realize this message on their own.

 

The first thing I wanted the player to feel was a sense of unknown. To achieve this, I gave the players 2 choices. The first choice was to follow all the other blocks to fit in, which results in the game restarting to represent the player not changing/growing as a person. The second choice was to ignore the other blocks and go the opposite direction to the opening of light, representing the player starting to accept their differences.

 

After you exit the first scene every person evolves into a different form and gains a unique ability. Each players’ differences continue to grow as the group progresses through the game. Each player is weak in some aspects but also become incredibly strong in other aspects. Even though each player is not perfect, as a team each individual brings a certain ability, leading to each player being crucial to complete each level. 

 

By the end of the game, I wanted the players to realize that none of the characters are better compared to the rest. Just like how everyone is born a different person, doesn’t mean that certain differences are better. Each person is a piece of a puzzle in our society, and as a whole, we complete each other.