What can generative AI offer?

AI can generate high-quality text and images. With that in mind we chose a visual novel format, and within it one genre stood out: the detective / deduction game.

Research and references

We identified three families of detective games: deduction, investigation and contradiction-based. Deduction games were the easiest to pair with AI, so they became the base of our concept.

First concept: interrogation + document analysis

The player interrogates two suspects, fills in their files by asking the right questions, then compares reports to spot inconsistencies. I spent most of my time on the interrogation phase and went through four versions of it.

Second concept: documents only

We cut the interrogation and kept document analysis, with Papers, Please as the new reference. The player cross-checks 12 documents against suspects' statements on a pin board.

Pre-final concept: "Guess Who?"

Ten suspects, a notebook, and information that unlocks as you clear suspects. We cut the documents from 12 to 5 — the player analyzes them to incriminate some suspects and clear others.

Designing the documents

I listed the documents that help solve a real theft case (ChatGPT first, then verified with my own research), studied real-life examples, and selected four that leave room for humor and are feasible with AI.

Playtest and questionnaire

Before the second version of the documents I built playtest sheets for each one, then asked several players a series of questions to find what to improve.

Typography for fast reading

The game is mostly reading, so I tested fonts: a table where each line used a different typeface, and players told me which was easiest and nicest to read. The chosen font got a slight transparency to mimic dried ink.

Final documents

Cleaner layouts, less noise, the dried-ink font — ready to be filled by the AI for each new case.

Research

Building on the team's concept art, and given the one-month deadline and our priority on fun, we settled on the interior of a temple: one large square room where the whole level happens. From there I conceptualized the level on my own.

Plan and gameplay loop

Taking the lore and the 3Cs into account, I proposed a first layout with a simple loop that programmers could build and artists could dress cheaply: destroy crystals to deactivate the stele and end the level. Each crystal triggers an enemy wave; you can only break the next crystal once the wave is cleared, and difficulty rises with every crystal.

Blockout V1

Once the plan was approved I built the first version in engine. The blockout let me feel dimensions and the space needed for smooth, dynamic movement — and it revealed a problem: large areas of the room gave the player no reason to go there.

Iteration V2

Playing from the player's perspective, I spread the four crystals into the four corners to expand the playable area. It worked — but after testing, the level still felt flat. The answer was verticality, which would also exploit the character's mechanics.

Final version: the balcony

A balcony runs around the hall with two of the four crystals on it. The player has to climb to break them, which kills the flatness — and encourages combining jump and dash to leap off the balcony and escape enemies.

Concept and brainstorming

Having used Blueprints before on a smaller scale, I volunteered for programming. To scope the work, we first listed every level design element the player would interact with — and that I'd need to code.

Programming and first tests

I built each element with the help of tutorials and forums, deepening my Blueprint skills along the way. We tuned the parameters on a basic blocking setup — not the final level, but enough to feel the mechanics.

Blockout V1 and its problems

Then we tried the features on the first blockout of the real level to judge proportions, placement, length and more.

Identified issues

• Foreground elements disrupted a game that needs precise movement
• Some proportions made movement nearly impossible
• Large empty spaces where players got lost, when we wanted to guide them naturally

Reflection

• We regrouped around the board to design a version that matched our intentions

Blockout V2: pacing the level

V2 guides the player subtly and balances challenge with rest. Here is the difficulty curve across the level:

Last adjustments

Some sections changed again after feedback. I added a radioactive zone and falling objects to diversify the challenges. Beyond level elements I also programmed checkpoints, health, the save system, the key system for factory doors, menus and collectibles.

The hero's move set