Collaborating Beyond Borders: The Making of Out Through
Great games often born from unexpected circumstances, and Out Through is no exception. What began as a chance online connection during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic quickly evolved into a rewarding international collaboration.
Bringing together a team of Spanish developers, an Italian composer, and myself, we united under a singular creative vision to participate in a 72-hour game jam.
Diving into the Narrative: "Deeper and Deeper"
The prompt for the jam was "Deeper and deeper." Our group wanted to explore something more psychological and emotional.
We chose to channel that direction into a side-scrolling adventure centered around exploring consciousness and confronting trauma.
While the core mechanics utilized familiar side-scroller elements, the broader vision for the full game was designed to challenge the player - pushing them to utilize out-of-the-box thinking and unconventional problem-solving to progress through the narrative.
A New Way to Collaborate
Working under a strict 72-hour constraint is always rewarding as it pushes its team members to focus on the goal, while still applying creative parameters. This project was no different and exposed me to entirely new, enriching approaches to development.
Scoring the Mood: One of the highlights of the jam was collaborating closely with Italian composer Pietro Frigerio. Discussing the emotional landscape and ambient mood of the game in-depth, enriched the environement and ensured the audio design felt seamlessly woven into the storytelling. Listen to the soundtrack.
Visual Identity: Simultaneously, the team developed a stunning, evocative logo and environmental plan that perfectly captured the energy, mystery, and psychological depth of the game right from the start. Logo credits: Reatile Mosito.
Out Through was more than just a sprint to the finish line; it was a testament to how creative boundaries can disappear when a global team aligns on a powerful concept.