Iròa
Journey to Amalaò
| DIPLOMA 2022-2023 |
Iròa - Journey to Amalaò
Iròa – Journey to Amalaò is a puzzle- adventure RP-Game Prototype that follows the main is a character Iròa on their journey to find their missing mother, which takes them on a path through four different lands and cultures, whose war once caused her dissappearance. With their parents’ old travel backpack and the memories of many people and animals that Iròa comes across, they follow the footsteps their mother took 10 years ago.
From 2022-2023 I worked as Lead Developer on my diploma project at the HTBLVA Ortweinschule: “Iròa – Journey to Amalaò” The project explores the intersection of storytelling, game design, and emotional themes such as grief, growth, and identity within a 3D action-puzzle adventure.
From early pre-production to final implementation, I was deeply involved in shaping the project. This included concept development, gameplay design, and the technical realization of core systems. A key focus was to create a cohesive experience where narrative, mechanics, and worldbuilding support each other.
The story is structured around five distinct islands, each representing one of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These themes influenced not only the story, but also the visual style, environments, and characters of each region. Designing this connection between emotional narrative and interactive gameplay was a central part of the project.
One of the most important aspects was the development of the puzzle systems. The game features several recurring mechanics, such as labyrinth puzzles controlled through a companion animal, sliding puzzles, and rotating disc puzzles, which gradually increase in complexity as the player progresses. I worked on designing and implementing these systems in Unity using C#, ensuring they remained intuitive while still challenging and meaningful within the narrative context.
Working on “Iròa” was a particularly valuable experience for me, as I independently learned Unity and C# during the development process and applied this knowledge directly to a large-scale project. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team while leading the technical development helped me grow both as a developer and as a problem solver.
Seeing the project come together from early concept ideas to a fully playable experience was incredibly rewarding and and it sparked my lasting passion for programming! 🙂
Iròa at the exhibition "Taste the Ortwein"
We had the honor of representing the Film und MultimediaArt department at the exhibition Taste the Ortwein at the Designforum Graz. Iròa was met with great enthusiasm and many visitors actively engaged with the game. Alongside the playable demo, all cutscenes and the official trailer were presented, giving deeper insight into the project. A behind-the-scenes video and additional materials provided context about the development process.
Cutscenes
An important part of the game was also the cutscenes to effectively convey the story. The game begins with a cutscene showing Iròa celebrating their birthday with their father before setting off on their journey to leave the island. Throughout development, we also created a behind-the-scenes video offering a brief glimpse into our workflow and collaboration. These elements help deepen the emotional connection and provide insight into the making of the project.
Iròa's birthday
letter from mom
leaving the island
behind the scenes
Trial & Error
A big part of the development process was trial and error, especially when implementing 3D assets and refining the main character. Not everything worked on the first try, but that was part of the journey. Despite the challenges, we shared a lot of laughs along the way, which made the process even more memorable.
Project Documentation
In my written thesis about level design in Puzzle Video Games, I explored how structure, pacing, and puzzle design contribute to player immersion. Alongside the game, a detailed project documentation was created, outlining both the creative and technical process. Together, they reflect the full scope of the project from concept to final implementation.
