Can you play a game using only conversation?
In my final year project, I looked towards my experience in performing arts and an interest to better understand the foundations of narrative design by creating a game that tried to answer that question.

I used video conferencing  and performance capture technology to allow players to communicate one-to-one with a virtual character. They have no other ways of input except to speak, and hearing the character reply. After experimenting and playtesting with various designs allowing players to feel encouraged and rewarded for socialising, I settled on a game called Investigation.

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Joe Wilbe has been arrested on suspicion of theft, and players have the power to decide if they are innocent or guilty. Along with the police reports of the events, players are given twenty minutes on a video call with Joe where they can ask whatever they want. After that, they will decide on Joe's fate.

Throughout the game, players will learn more about Joe and the events surrounding the theft via conversation, allowing them to progress through the story and learn more that may inform their final verdict.

To allow players to have a one-to-one communication with Joe, an actor has to perform as the character throughout the game, disclosing the correct information to keep the pace of the game steady. I took this role as this task was very important, with the entire game design resting on the performance.

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The performances of Investigation were a success, with players becoming invested with Joe and their situation, as well as unravelling the mystery of the stolen painting. The game has been described by players as a unique experience in digital performance art as well as a glimpse into the future of empathetic design in the narrative of interactive mediums.