Shock Workers
A game set in a dystopian society where workers are not allowed to work overtime.
The game reflects the current society's call for "hard work" and long overtime in a humourous manner, and discusses the cencorship issue through a dystopian setting.
My Role
Designer
As the one of the designers of the game, I took part in designing the gameplay, the maps and items, and the player achievements of the game.
Introduction
The Background
The player becomes a university new grad in a society where censorship is widely implemented through monitor cameras and censoring robots. International merchandise and foreign exchange is controled by the centralized government as well.
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The player is just starting a career, where everyone is paid equally as long as they finish their assigned work and no overtime working is permitted. They are informed by their supervisor on the first day of work that wokring overtime is a crime.
The Gameplay
After a tedious day of work, the player found out in unexpected circumstances that working overtime actually increases the pay!
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They decided to take the risk and try to stay as long as they can in the company after hour while avoiding the detection of cameras and censoring robots patroling around the company.
The Environment
Most of the story happens inside the company building, which include rooms like the office, where the main character works, to the bathroom, the only place not censored, and the canting, where the gossip queen Mama Goose works. The player can also relax at their home after work and explore around the Mayak City.
The Story
The player will get to know their co-workers, discover other people's secrets and make their own decisions as they continue their career in the Planning Bureau.
The Collectibles
The player can collect different items to use in the gameplay or to progress in the story. They can also collect achievements, which come with rewards, connected to the gameplay and the storyline.