{"id":13841,"date":"2025-05-09T09:34:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T13:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/?p=13841"},"modified":"2025-05-09T09:34:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T13:34:58","slug":"case-study-till-death-do-we-part","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/?p=13841","title":{"rendered":"Case Study: Till Death Do We Part"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Short Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Till Death Do We Part<\/em> is a one-hour, narrative-driven murder mystery game where players take on the role of detectives investigating the death of a groom on his wedding day. Designed for  group play, players analyze a curated box of immersive evidence\u2014including physical objects, documents, and character interviews\u2014to uncover who committed the murder and why. Intended for adult players and fans of story-rich experiences, the game explores deeper social themes such as empathy, grief, privilege, and truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Design Process &amp; Thought Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Game Design Document (GDD)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Core Concept<\/strong>: An immersive detective experience driven by evidence-based storytelling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Purpose<\/strong>: To foster empathy while exploring power dynamics, emotional depth, and the complexity of truth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rules<\/strong>: Players must go through the provided evidence in order, discuss findings, and make a final deduction using a reveal card.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mechanics<\/strong>: Evidence examination, character interviews, group discussion, and narrative deduction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Iterative Design<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The game was fully fleshed out from the beginning, with a clear vision for both story and structure. While the core design remained unchanged, two key improvements were made based on playtesting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A player guide was added to clarify the order in which evidence should be reviewed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A final &#8220;reveal card&#8221; was introduced to provide closure and enhance the narrative payoff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Answer-1.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of Answer 1.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-2757cc20-ced5-476c-810d-af4f85978d84\" href=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Answer-1.pdf\">Answer 1<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Answer-1.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-2757cc20-ced5-476c-810d-af4f85978d84\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Game Mechanics (Simplified)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Evidence Analysis<\/strong>: Players examine realistic documents, photos, objects, and text screenshots.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Character Interviews<\/strong>: Each of the five suspects has a full police transcript revealing personal motives and emotional complexity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Group Discussion<\/strong>: A free-flow experience that encourages collaborative interpretation of the facts and stories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Final Reveal<\/strong>: A sealed solution card confirms the killer&#8217;s identity and motive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Player Goals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Players aim to determine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What killed the groom<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>What pieces of evidence point to the answer<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How the pieces of evidence come together to reveal the full story<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Victory is achieved when players accurately connect the dots and empathize with the emotional layers behind the crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gameplay Sequence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Briefing<\/strong>: Players receive a short overview of the murder and are told to examine evidence in order.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Investigation<\/strong>: Players analyze items including:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A glass flute<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wedding invitation and timeline<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drink menu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wedding card<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Three photographs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Five suspect interviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One personal letter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Screenshots of text messages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Discussion<\/strong>: The group compares notes, interprets motives, and formulates a theory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reveal<\/strong>: Players open the final card to discover the truth and reflect on their conclusions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Game Board &amp; Components<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no game board; instead, the experience is driven by tactile storytelling through evidence. Components include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>3 printed photographs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A glass champagne flute<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A handwritten wedding card<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5 police interview transcripts (one per suspect)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A drink menu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wedding invitation and schedule<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A personal letter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Screenshots of character text conversations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A reveal card for the final solution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These items guide player actions and slowly build a layered, emotional narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rulebook &amp; Playtesting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rulebook Sample<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>A short instruction document is provided to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Guide players through evidence in the correct order<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encourage group discussion and theory-building<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explain how and when to use the final reveal card<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-08-at-4.49.04-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-08-at-4.49.04-AM-771x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-08-at-4.49.04-AM-771x1024.png 771w, https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-08-at-4.49.04-AM-226x300.png 226w, https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-08-at-4.49.04-AM-768x1019.png 768w, https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-08-at-4.49.04-AM.png 1023w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Playtesting Notes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Players found the experience highly immersive and emotionally engaging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The biggest challenge was managing the flow of evidence\u2014solved by adding a clear order-of-play document.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Players requested and appreciated the addition of the final reveal card for narrative closure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5706-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5706-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5706-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5706-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5706-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5706-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5706-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Game Reflections<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Developing <em>Till Death Do We Part<\/em> confirmed the power of narrative games to evoke empathy and critical thinking. The biggest lesson was in <strong>narrative coherence<\/strong>\u2014ensuring every piece of evidence felt intentional and interconnected. Future expansions might explore alternate suspects, branching storylines, or character-driven epilogues to deepen replayability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Short Summary Till Death Do We Part is a one-hour, narrative-driven murder mystery game where players take on the role of detectives investigating the death of a groom on his wedding day. Designed for group play, players analyze a curated box of immersive evidence\u2014including physical objects, documents, and character interviews\u2014to uncover who committed the murder &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/?p=13841\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Case Study: Till Death Do We Part&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":265,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[139],"class_list":["post-13841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-game-design-studio-2","tag-marked"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13841"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13851,"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13841\/revisions\/13851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmu.andrewyames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}