a place called home
Made for Global Game Jam 2019 by JoJo Lu
Theme: What home means to you.
Diversifiers: 4'33", Super Secret Stash, 20-XIX, ADL Identity Framework
Note: There are two endings to this game! Does the linux version run? The world may never know. Mac version runs, thanks Jeffrey!
Controls
Move — WASD or Arrow Keys
Talk — Space Bar
This year marks my third Global Game Jam!
I decided to use this as an opportunity to finally learn how to make a 3D game in Unity, so there aren't any true gameplay mechanics this time around. Rather, it's more of a short narrative. I tried to go for the pomp tone of the 19th century for the diversifier, but I'm not quite sure if it came out that way.
Admittedly the theme for this year was very difficult; home is not really a concept for me. It’s a feeling many second generation immigrants can possibly understand (although technically I’m a first generation immigrant, most would label me as ABC despite the fact that I have no rights to run for president). Being perceived as too Chinese by America and too American by China, there’s a gap in both countries.
Amplifying this feeling, I’ve lived in eight different areas, and moved many more times than that. I’ve never felt that I’ve had anywhere to call a ‘hometown.’ I hate the question “where are you from?,” not only because of the inevitable “no, where are you really from?”s, but also because I don’t even have an American area I can comfortably respond with.
Incidentally, since I moved recently, there weren’t any jam locations near me this year, so I just did it at home. It turned out to be appropriate for the theme I guess. I didn’t originally plan on doing GGJ this year, but I’m glad I did. So that I could submit my game to the official website, I joined the largest jam site in the state, thinking I could blend in. Cheers and thanks to NJIT, hope I didn’t weird you out!
Additional thanks to the following resources—
Dialogue tutorial from Brackeys
Water sound from CGEffex
Fire sound from dobroide
Forest sound from felix.blume
Wind sound from InspectorJ
Ocean sound from michaelkoehler
Leaves sound from Mjeno
Reception sound from MorneDelport
Character controller tutorial from Single Sapling Games
Tower sound from xzuma
Download
