Nuevas Vistas

Role: Solo Developer (Design, Narrative, Photography, Audio)

Format: Interactive Photo Visual Novel

Project Timeline: 3 Weeks (Winter 2024)

Project Overview

Nuevas Vistas is an adaptation of an original short story, reimagined as a narrative game. Set in my hometown, the project serves as both a “love letter” and a grounded exploration of the friction between artistic ambition and the limitations of a small-town environment.

The project was intentionally designed to address two professional growth areas: scope management and visual asset production within a limited 2D skill set.

The Strategy: Embracing Constraints

To bypass traditional 2D art limitations, I pivoted to a photography-based aesthetic. By utilizing my own photography and original music, I focused on building a specific atmosphere rather than high-fidelity assets.

The “Healing” Workflow: Managing all pillars of production allowed me to see how framing and pacing can compensate for low-resource environments.

Contextual Audio/Visuals: Using real-world imagery and custom soundscapes provided a sense of “place” that rendered complex 2D illustrations unnecessary.

Challenges & Solutions

Transitioning from Prose to Interactivity

The biggest hurdle was translating a linear short story into an interactive medium.

The Problem: Early iterations felt passive. I discovered that limiting player agency too severely led to apathy.

The Solution: I shifted focus toward active engagement. I found that players stayed grounded when narrative fragments felt like pieces of a puzzle they were actively solving, similar to the engagement found in “puzzle films.”

Balancing Abstract Narrative with Immersion

The Problem: While the photos provided realism, the text was initially too abstract. This created a “surrealist detachment” that pulled players out of the emotional core of the story.

The Solution: I refined the text to ground the surreal elements in the physical reality of the photography, ensuring the player felt “present” in the scene even when the themes were complex.

Key Takeaways

• Pacing is Power: In a photo-novel, the timing of transitions is as important as the dialogue. Framing defines the emotional weight.

• Interaction as Grounding: Player focus is directly tied to a sense of purpose. Every narrative beat must feel like it is helping the player overcome a specific (even if psychological) challenge.

• Scope Realism: By leaning into my existing skills (photography) rather than fighting my weaknesses (2D art), I successfully hit a self-imposed deadline without sacrificing quality.