Xanthous

01 / Core experience

Defining how the player should feel

I defined the experience around vulnerability, close observation and uncertainty. The confined VR perspective, incomplete information and controlled escalation were design pillars: the player should never feel completely comfortable, even inside an ordinary apartment.

02 / Core loop

Turning tension into repeatable play

I mapped the moment-to-moment loop: explore a space, inspect and interact with the environment, discover clues or objectives, respond to a threat, then unlock the next story beat. I also designed the feedback and pacing around that loop so exploration, narrative discovery and danger reinforced one another.

03 / Story & flow

Writing the journey

I wrote the story and translated it into a playable flow: player goals, scene order, encounter beats, transitions and the rhythm of each reveal. This gave the team a shared view of what the player knows, does and feels at every stage of the experience.

04 / Design documentation

One source of truth in Confluence

I maintained the game-design documentation in Confluence, covering the vision, core experience, core loop, player flow, narrative, mechanics, controls, system rules and encounter notes. It turned design intent into a reference the whole team could use while implementing and reviewing the game.

I broke the design into clear deliverables, coordinated responsibilities, tracked progress and blockers, and adjusted scope when the schedule became tight. That meant protecting the must-have experience while keeping the five-person team aligned, so Xanthous was completed before the final-project exhibition deadline.