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Working through death and grief with a video game: the design and development of Where the sea meets the sky

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Working through death and grief with a video game: the design and development of Where the sea meets the sky

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Content W orking Thr ough Dea th and Grie f with a Video Game
The Design and De v elopmen t of Where the Sea Mee ts the Sky
b y
Zhengzhuo “Elsa” Liu
A Thesis Pr esen t ed t o the
F A CUL TY OF THE USC SCHOOL OF CINEMA TIC AR T S
UNIVER SITY OF SOUTHERN CALIF ORNIA
In P artial Fulfillmen t of the
R equir emen ts f or the Degr ee
MAS TER OF FINE AR T S
(INTERA C TIVE MEDIA)
Ma y 2023
C o p y r i g h t 2 0 2 3 Z h e n g z h u o L i u
D e d i c a t i o n
This w ork is dedic a t ed t o the memor y of m y gr andf a ther , Zhongxin Liu, whose lo v e and
guidance helped shape me in t o the per son I am t oda y , and whose memor y will c on tinue t o
inspir e me thr oughout m y lif e.
i i
A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s
I w ould lik e t o e xpr ess m y sincer e gr a titude t o the f ollo wing individuals, who ha v e pr o vided
in v aluable guidance and support thr oughout the v arious s t ag es of this pr oject:
My advisor s, Lair d Malamed, Sam R obert, Martzi Campos, and Z ach Bohn, f or their e xpertise
and men t or ship in g ame design, narr a tiv e design, s y s t em design, pr oduction, and pr of essional
c ar eer advice.
My de v elopmen t t eam member s Buting X u, A tush Bhalla, Y imeng Chen, Simon Lee, and Bobb y
Rap s, f or their amazing w ork and c on tributions t o this pr oject.
My f ello w USC IMGD MF A 2023 c ohorts, including K aitlin Bon figlio , R F er ari, Rachel Geng ,
Tian yue Gu, Chris t a Har y an t o , Chaor an Huang , T r en t en K auf eldt -Lir a, Y uw ei Lin, Ingr am Mao ,
Laur a Meng , Adam Morina, Cassidy P ong , Colle t t e Quach, Jac ob Rut t enber g , Bocheng Y ao ,
Chris ty Y e, Suli Zhang , Jebb y Zhang , and those who of f er ed their insigh ts, including Lizb y Dingus,
Richar d Lemar chand, and Marianne K r a w cz yk, f or their support, f eedback, and v aluable
sug g es tions.
My pr of essor s who ha v e t augh t me g ame design and de v elopmen t a t USC , and classma t es and
t eamma t es who I w ork ed t og e ther with on pr ojects both in school and outside of the
classr oom.
My friends and f amily member s, including m y mother Xiao zhi Zheng , m y f a ther T ao Liu, m y
bo y friend Buting X u, m y gr andmother s Caixia Li and Gaiying Tian, m y gr andf a ther W an yi Zheng ,
m y c ousins Shuting Zheng and Y ucheng Y ang , m y aun ts Xiaoli Zheng and Xiaohui Zheng , m y
uncles Liuwu Hua and Jun Y ang , m y friends Dangy ang W ang and Bo yun Zhao , and m y belo v ed
pe ts Nine, Se v en t een, and Miaomiao.
Thank y ou all f or y our un w a v ering enc our ag emen t, en thusiasm, and dedic a tion t o making this
pr oject a success.
i i i
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Dedic a tion ……………………………………………………………………………………….. ii
Ackno wledgmen ts ………………………………………………………………………………. iii
Lis t of T ables ……………………………………………………………………………………… v
Lis t of Figur es ……………………………………………………………………………………. vi
Ab s tr act …………………………………………………………………………………………. vii
Chap t er 1: In tr oduction …………………………………………………………………………. 1
1.1 Pr ologue …………………………………………………………………………………. 1
1.2 Video Game and Hea v y T opics …………………………………………………………… 2
1.3 Pr oject Goals …………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Chap t er 2: Pr oject Ov er vie w …………………………………………………………………….. 4
2.1 Game Summar y ………………………………………………………………………….. 4
2.2 Thesis Ques tion ………………………………………………………………………….. 4
2.3 Pla y er Experience Goals …………………………………………………………………. 5
2.4 Design Pillar s …………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Chap t er 3: R esear ch and Analy sis …………………………………………………………. …… 9
3.1 St or y , Theme, and Experience …………………………………………………………… 9
3.2 Under s t anding the Emotions …………………………………………………………… 11
Chap t er 4: Game Design, Mechanics, and St or y ………………………………………………. 14
4.1 Narr a tiv e Design ………………………………………………………………………… 14
4.2 S y s t em Design ………………………………………………………………………….. 15
4.3 Char act er De v elopmen t ………………………………………………………………… 17
4.4 Mini Games …………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Chap t er 5: User F eedback ……………………………………………………………………… 26
5.1 Ov er all R ecep tion ………………………………………………………………………. 26
5.2 Issues and It er a tions ……………………………………………………………………. 27
Chap t er 6: Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………. 30
Chap t er 7: P os tscrip t …………………………………………………………………………… 32
Bibliogr aph y ……………………………………………………………………………………. 35
i v
L i s t o f T a b l e s
T able 1 Game’ s St or y , Theme, and Experience …………………………………………. 11
T able 2 Fiv e St ag es of Grie f b y Elisabe th K ubler -R oss ………………………………….. 12
T able 3 The St ag es Pr ogr ession …………………………………………………………. 16
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L i s t o f F i g u r e s
1.1 Where the Sea Mee ts the Sky Concep t Art …………………. …………………… vii
2.1 Scr eenshot of Susu s t a ying in the y ar d ………………………………………….. 4
2.2 Scr eenshot of e xploring in the r ooms ……………………………………………. 5
2.3 Scr eenshot of a bik e r epairing mini-g ame ………………………………………. 6
2.4 Scr eenshot of w a t ering the g ar den ……………………………………………… 7
2.5 Cutscene of Susu and gr andma s t anding b y the sea ……………………………. 8
3.1 Scr eenshot fr om Whiplash (Chaz elle, 2014) …………………………………….. 9
3.2 Scr eenshot fr om The Las t of Us (Naugh ty Dog , 2013) …………………………… 10
3.3 Scr eenshot fr om R ed Dead R edemp tion 2 (R ock s t ar Studios, 2018) ……………. 10
4.1 Cor e g ame loop of Where the Sea Mee ts the Sky ……………………………….. 17
4.2 Scr eenshot fr om B oJack Horseman (Bob-W ak sber g , 2014-2020) ………………. 18
4.3 Susu char act er design ……………………………………………………………. 18
4.4 Gr andma char act er design ………………………………………………………. 19
4.5 Scr eenshot of Susu disc o v er s the bik e …………………………………………… 20
4.6 Scr eenshot of cleaning the bik e ………………………………………………….. 21
4.7 Scr eenshot of finaliz ed wheel r eplacemen t ……………………………………… 22
4.8 Scr eenshot of rus t r emo ving mini-g ame …………………………………………. 22
4.9 Scr eenshot of spr a y ed bik e ………………………………………………………. 23
4.10 Scr eenshots of the g ar dening pr ocess …………………………………………… 24
4.11 Scr eenshot of flo w er blossom ……………………………………………………. 25
v i
A b s t r a c t
Where the Sea Mee ts the Sky is a narr a tiv e-driv en puzzle g ame tha t e xplor es the sensitiv e
themes of dea th and grie f in a positiv e manner . The g ame f ollo w s Susu as she unc o v er s a secr e t
held b y her gr andmother a ft er the passing of her gr andf a ther . This pr oject uses a no v el
appr oach b y utilizing video g ames as a t ool t o support pla y er s and pr o vide a supportiv e and
empa the tic en vir onmen t t o help them na vig a t e their ber ea v emen t.
This paper summariz es the design de t ails and de v elopmen t pr ocess of the g ame and discusses
ho w video g ames, as in t er activ e media, c an addr ess hea v y t opics in a unique, meaningful, and
empa the tic manner . The paper also highligh ts the pot en tial bene fits of utilizing video g ames as
a t ool f or pr omoting men t al w ellness and f os t ering empa th y .
F i g . 1 . 1 . W h e r e t h e S e a M e e t s t h e S k y C o n c e p t A r t
v i i
C h a p t e r 1 : I n t r o d u c t i o n
1 . 1 P r o l o g u e
During the summer of m y thesis y ear , I r eceiv ed de v as t a ting ne w s about m y belo v ed
gr andf a ther , Zhongxin Liu, who had passed a w a y fr om pancr ea tic c ancer . P ancr ea tic Cancer is
c onsider ed one of the deadlies t c ancer s due t o its t endency t o be diagnosed a t adv anced
s t ag es, making it challenging t o tr ea t. B y the time doct or s c on firmed his diagnosis, ther e w er e
limit ed tr ea tmen t op tions a v ailable tha t of f er ed lit tle hope of e x t ending his lif e. Sadly , m y
gr andf a ther passed a w a y thr ee mon ths a ft er his diagnosis, on the sec ond da y a ft er his
se v en tie th birthda y . His sudden passing le ft m y f amily and me all r eeling and s trug gling t o
accep t the har sh r eality .
Studying abr oad and f ar fr om home, I w as una w ar e of m y gr andf a ther's illness as he wished t o
k eep it a secr e t fr om me. Ho w e v er , despit e m y f amily's a t t emp ts t o hide his illness and passing , I
c ouldn't help but notice their unusual beha vior s, especially those of m y gr andmother , which
hin t ed a t some hidden secr e t. Aft er pr eparing m y self and summoning all m y c our ag e, I
appr oached m y f a ther about the s t a t e of m y gr andf a ther's health. I will ne v er f or g e t the
momen t I r eceiv ed the ne w s of his passing fr om m y f a ther o v er the phone. The o v er whelming
grie f c aused me t o br eak do wn and f eel a sense of heart -wr enching pain.
Tha t summer w as the mos t challenging time of m y lif e as I s trug gled t o c ome t o t erms with m y
gr andf a ther's passing. Not being able t o be ther e with him in his final momen ts w as
heartbr eaking , and the memor y of his passing w eighed hea vily on m y mind. I f ound m y self
fr equen tly o v er whelmed with emotions, cr ying a t the though t of all the things m y gr andf a ther
had enjo y ed in lif e tha t w er e no w g one f or e v er .
I had no idea when the y w er e g oing t o t ell me if I had not ask ed, but ultima t ely , the e xperience
of losing a lo v ed one is one of the mos t dif ficult and pain ful emotions tha t w e c an f ace as
human beings. Losing m y gr andf a ther w as an incr edibly dif ficult e xperience, as it w as the fir s t
time I had los t someone dear t o me. The grie f tha t I f elt w as o v er whelming , and it t ook me a
long time t o c ome t o t erms with the loss. But, as I w en t thr ough the pr ocess of grie ving , I
r ealiz ed tha t I w as not alone in m y pain. This is a univ er sal e xperience tha t is shar ed b y people
all ar ound the w orld.
As someone who has g one thr ough the pain and loss of a lo v ed one, I under s t and ho w dif ficult
it c an be t o w ork thr ough the emotions tha t c ome with this e xperience. Ho w e v er , I also kno w
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tha t ther e ar e w a y s tha t w e c an help each other during this dif ficult time. This is wh y I w an t t o
use m y e xperience, kno wledg e, and skills t o help other people who ar e f acing similar challeng es
b y making a video g ame about dea th and grie f .
1 . 2 V i d e o G a m e a n d H e a v y T o p i c s
Video g ames of f er mor e than jus t a w a y t o un wind a ft er a s tr ess ful da y or during leisur e time.
The y pr o vide an esc ape t o a ne w virtual w orld wher e pla y er s c an assume dif f er en t r oles,
c omple t e missions, and eng ag e in w ell-cr a ft ed e xperiences thr ough in t er action and narr a tiv e.
While video g ames ar e oft en c onsider ed as a f orm of en t ert ainmen t, their unique f ea tur es as
in t er activ e media enable them t o e xplor e hea v y and emotional t opics in w a y s tha t other media
c annot.
Sa f e and c on tr olled en vir onmen ts
One of the adv an t ag es of video g ames is tha t the y of f er a sa f e and c on tr olled en vir onmen t f or
pla y er s t o e xplor e and in t er act with ( Cla f f y , 2011). Unlik e the unpr edict able and oft en
o v er whelming na tur e of the r eal w orld, video g ames pr o vide clear rules and boundaries,
allo wing pla y er s t o an ticipa t e wha t lies ahead and f os t ering a sense of sa f e ty and security .
Bec ause of this, video g ames enc our ag e pla y er s t o e xperimen t with dif f er en t s tr a t egies and
appr oaches, fr ee fr om the f ear of r eal-lif e c onsequences. As a r esult, video g ames ar e able t o
cr ea t e a supportiv e space f or pla y er s t o c on fr on t and pr ocess in t ense emotions lik e grie f in a
risk - fr ee en vir onmen t.
Empa th y and c onnection
Video g ames ar e not only en t ert aining. The y ar e also kno wn f or pr o viding pla y er s with a sense
of empa th y and c onnection t o each other thr ough shar ed e xperiences. This c onnection c an be
with other pla y er s who shar e similar s t ories and e xperiences or e v en with the g ame de v eloper s
who cr ea t ed the g ame. Pla y er s migh t also de v elop a sense of empa th y t o w ar ds g ame
char act er s, f eeling a sense of c onnection thr ough their s trug gles, e xperiences, or g oals. Thr ough
this sense of empa th y and shar ed e xperience with other people or char act er s, pla y er s c an begin
t o ackno wledg e and under s t and the c omple xities of loss and grie f and f eel less isola t ed in their
e xperiences (K ubitz, 2021) .
Meaningful and though t -pr o v oking r e flection
Games dealing with hea v y t opics ar e not e x clusiv ely f or those who ha v e had similar
e xperiences. The y ar e also v aluable f or pla y er s who ha v e not per sonally enc oun t er ed such
emotions, of f ering a meaningful and though t -pr o v oking e xperience in c omple x subjects. Games
with immer siv e g amepla y and eng aging s t or ylines c an help pla y er s of all backgr ounds
under s t and c omple x messag es and r e flect though tfully on the t opics pr esen t ed. E arly e xposur e
2
t o the theme of dea th and grie f c an pr omot e in tr ospection and f os t er per sonal gr o w th,
in fluencing the w a y individuals think, t alk, and act (Carpen t er , 2017). This c an be especially
bene ficial f or na vig a ting highly emotional e xperiences in the futur e when pla y er s need t o deal
with the loss of lo v ed ones.
1 . 3 P r o j e c t G o a l s
As a g ame designer , I used m y skills t o e xplor e the pot en tial of video g ames in helping people
na vig a t e the c omple x emotions of grie f and loss. This pr oject is deeply per sonal t o me, inspir ed
b y m y belo v ed gr andf a ther , who pla y ed a piv ot al r ole in shaping m y childhood and who
c on tinues t o inspir e me t o this da y . My g oal is t o g ain a r ene w ed per spectiv e on dea th and a
be t t er under s t anding of ho w t o c ope with the pain of loss while also pr o viding c om f ort and
support t o other s who shar e similar e xperiences and emotions.
In addition, m y vision is t o cr ea t e a g ame tha t not only honor s m y gr andf a ther's memor y but
also ser v es as a meaningful pla tf orm f or other s t o pa y their r espects t o lo v ed ones the y ha v e
los t. With input fr om friends and f amily , I'v e w o v en their s t ories in t o the narr a tiv e of the g ame
t o cr ea t e a virtual memorial wher e w e c an cherish the memor y and e xperiences w e shar ed with
those w e'v e los t. This virtual space will pr o vide c om f ort and empa th y , allo wing us t o find solace
in the kno wledg e tha t our lo v ed ones' spirits liv e on in our hearts and in the w orld ar ound us.
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C h a p t e r 2 : P r o j e c t O v e r v i e w
2 . 1 G a m e S u m m a r y
Where the Sea Mee ts the Sky is a thir d-per son narr a tiv e-driv en puzzle g ame tha t e xplor es the
t opic of dea th and grie f . In this g ame, pla y er s t ak e on the r ole of Susu as she unc o v er s a hidden
secr e t held b y her gr andmother a ft er the passing of her gr andf a ther . As pla y er s pr ogr ess
thr ough the g ame, the y will disc o v er and learn about the s t ories of Susu's gr andpar en ts b y
in t er acting with the en vir onmen t, fixing an old and br ok en bik e, and helping her gr andmother
gr o w her g ar den. Thr ough this emotional journe y , pla y er s will help Susu's gr andmother w ork
thr ough her grie f and c ome t o a dif f er en t under s t anding of dea th, dr a wing fr om her per spectiv e
and memories as a lit tle child.
F i g . 2 . 1 . S c r e e n s h o t o f S u s u s t a y i n g i n t h e y a r d
The g ame is designed t o be pla y ed on PC and Mac pla tf orms, and r equir es the use of a mouse
and k e yboar d. The g ame’ s mechanics ar e designed t o be accessible t o an y one, including people
with ligh t g aming e xperience.
2 . 2 T h e s i s Q u e s t i o n
B y de v eloping this pr oject, m y g oal is t o e xplor e the f ollo wing ques tion:
“Ho w c an a video game approach the t opic of death in a positive manner , and pro vide
players with a supportive and empathe tic atmosphere t o help them navigat e their
bereavemen t? ”
4
2 . 3 P l a y e r E x p e r i e n c e G o a l s
During and a ft er pla ying the g ame, I w an t pla y er s t o f eel tw o e xperience g oals tha t ar e cen tr al
t o their o v er all e xperience:
● Pla y er s ar e able t o c on fr on t and in tr ospect dif ficult emotions and e xperiences within a
sa f e and empa the tic en vir onmen t pr o vided b y the g ame.
● Pla y er s ar e giv en a dif f er en t per spectiv e on dea th and grie f , and ar e le ft with a f eeling of
hope and s tr eng th a ft er pla ying the g ame.
2 . 4 D e s i g n P i l l a r s
The g ame has f our main f ea tur es, allo wing pla y er s t o embark on an un f or g e t t able adv en tur e in
gr andpar en ts' home:
Exploring
Pla y er s will e xplor e Susu’ s gr andpar en ts' house and in t er act with v arious it ems tha t hold
per sonal meaning and memories. Fr om f amiliar objects tha t bring back f ond r ec ollections t o
un f amiliar it ems tha t un v eil un t old s t ories, each it em t ells a unique t ale tha t r e v eals a deeper
under s t anding of the pas t and the pr esen t. Thr ough these in t er actions, pla y er s will g ain insigh t
in t o gr andpar en ts' lif e, per sonalities, and r ela tionship s with each other and the main char act er
Susu.
F i g . 2 . 2 . S c r e e n s h o t o f e x p l o r i n g i n t h e r o o m s
5
R epairing
As pla y er s e xplor e the house and y ar d, the y disc o v er an old and br ok en bik e, the y will ha v e the
opportunity t o r es t or e it using fr agmen ts c ollect ed fr om ar ound the house, bringing it back t o
its f ormer look as a tr easur ed possession of Susu’ s gr andpa. With the guidance of a se t of
ins tructions le ft behind b y gr andpa, pla y er s will eng ag e in a series of unique mini-g ames tha t
r e v olv e ar ound the bik e, unlocking ne w s t ories and memories about gr andpar en ts.
F i g . 2 . 3 . S c r e e n s h o t o f a b i k e r e p a i r i n g m i n i - g a m e
6
Gr o wing
Pla y er s will ha v e the opportunity t o assis t gr andma in r es t oring a g ar den tha t has been
neglect ed since gr andpa's passing. As pla y er s pr ogr ess thr ough the s t ag es of g ar den
r e vit aliz a tion, the y will learn and c omple t e v arious g ar dening t echniques tha t will aid them in
cultiv a ting and main t aining the g ar den's beauty .
F i g . 2 . 4 . S c r e e n s h o t o f w a t e r i n g t h e g a r d e n
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Healing
Thr oughout the g ame, pla y er s will gr adually unc o v er a hidden secr e t tha t gr andma has been
holding on t o since gr andpa's passing. Fr om Susu's y outh ful and imagina tiv e per spectiv e t o
gr appling with the r eality of dea th as an adult, pla y er s will be able t o acc ompan y gr andma on an
emotional journe y and w ork thr ough the pr ocess of grie f .
F i g . 2 . 5 . C u t s c e n e o f S u s u a n d g r a n d m a s t a n d i n g b y t h e s e a
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C h a p t e r 3 : R e s e a r c h a n d A n a l y s i s
3 . 1 S t o r y , T h e m e , a n d E x p e r i e n c e
Game s t or y , theme, and e xperience ar e essen tial c omponen ts of a video g ame. During the early
de v elopmen t s t ag es, g ame de v eloper s es t ablish the main s t or y and e xperiences the y w an t
pla y er s t o f eel during and a ft er pla ying the g ame, which further de t ermines man y other aspects
of the g ame. While c oncep ts of s t or y , theme, and e xperience ar e closely in t er dependen t,
under s t anding the dif f er ences be tw een them c an be help ful in de v eloping a g ame with a hea v y
and c omple x t opic.
The g ame s t or y is the c ollection of plots, e v en ts, char act er s, se t tings, and c on flicts tha t t ak e
place in the g ame w orld. Game de v eloper s c an build their g ames ar ound a wide r ang e of
s t ories, such as sur viv al, e xplor a tion, f an t as y , and horr or . The theme, on the other hand, is the
underlying messag e or idea tha t the g ame is e xploring , similar t o the c oncep t in scr een writing.
In the film Whiplash (Chaz elle, 2014), the s t or y is about ho w the pr ot ag onis t Andr e w bec omes
one of the gr ea t es t drummer s in the w orld, but the theme of the film is the discussion of “t o
when e x t end should y ou push a per son and whe ther it is w orth it t o sacrifice e v er y thing t o
achie v e y our dr eam” . The same applies t o video g ames. The Las t of Us (Naugh ty Dog , 2013) t ells
a s t or y about Joel and Ellie's journe y acr oss the pos t -apoc alyp tic Unit ed St a t es, but the theme
or the messag e the g ame sends t o the pla y er s is about “ sur viv al, loss, and the leng ths people
will g o t o pr ot ect those the y c ar e about, e v en in the f ace of o v er whelming dang er and
har dship. ” The theme c omes fr om a s t or y , but a theme is not the s t or y .
F i g . 3 . 1 . S c r e e n s h o t f r o m W h i p l a s h ( C h a z e l l e , 2 0 1 4 )
9
F i g . 3 . 2 . S c r e e n s h o t f r o m T h e L a s t o f U s ( N a u g h t y D o g , 2 0 1 3 )
Pla y er e xperience r e f er s t o ho w pla y er s in t er act with the g ame and the emotions and f eelings
the y ha v e while pla ying. It enc ompasses all aspects of the g ame, including s t or y , g amepla y
mechanics, gr aphics, sound, and user in t erf ace. While the s t or y and theme se t the s t ag e and
pr o vide the fr ame w ork f or the g amepla y , the pla y er e xperience is shaped b y ho w w ell the g ame
mechanics and design support and enhance the s t or y and theme. F or e x ample, the theme of
R ed Dead R edemp tion 2 (R ock s t ar Studios, 2018) f ocuses on r edemp tion and the c os t of
violence, but the g ame’ s pla y er e xperience c an be violen t and f as t -paced, with man y
opportunities f or the pla y er t o eng ag e in shoot outs and other c omba t scenarios. While the
s t or y , theme, and pla y er e xperience ar e in t er c onnect ed, the y don't necessarily need t o align
perf ectly . In f act, ther e ma y be situa tions wher e the y appear t o c on tr adict each other .
F i g . 3 . 3 . S c r e e n s h o t f r o m R e d D e a d R e d e m p t i o n 2 ( R o c k s t a r S t u d i o s , 2 0 1 8 )
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F or this pr oject, the e xperience and the theme don’t ha v e t o be hea v y and sad, e v en though it ’ s
a g ame tha t t ells a s t or y about dea th and grie f . B y designing the mechanics, s t or yline, dialogues,
art s tyle, and audio in a r ela tiv ely c asual and r ela x ed pr esen t a tion, the pla y er s c an learn the
messag e tha t I e xpr ess in the g ame about ho w c an w e think of dea th and grie f in a positiv e
manner (which will be e xplained la t er in the paper), while not being in a heartbr ok en and
dis tr essing a tmospher e.
St or y A s t or y about assis ting Susu’ s gr andmother in c oping with the loss of
gr andf a ther .
Theme A meaningful w a y t o r emember our depart ed lo v ed ones is t o c arr y on
their leg acies of lo v e and passion.
Experience Pla y er s ar e pr o vided with a sa f e and empa the tic en vir onmen t t o c on fr on t
challenging emotions and e xperiences, lea ving them with a r ene w ed sense
of hope and inner s tr eng th.
T a b l e 1 . G a m e ’ s S t o r y , T h e m e , a n d E x p e r i e n c e
3 . 2 U n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e E m o t i o n s
Grie f is an in tric a t e and challenging emotion t o na vig a t e, oft en associa t ed with a r esponse t o
dea th, though it c an arise when r eality f ails t o mee t our desir es, hopes, or e xpect a tions.
Although the grie ving pr ocess dif f er s among individuals, ther e is a widely ackno wledg ed theor y
kno wn as the "Fiv e St ag es of Grie f , ” fir s t in tr oduced b y Elisabe th K ubler -R oss in her 1969 book,
"On Dea th and Dying." (K ubler -R oss, 1969).
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Can Look Lik e Can F eel Lik e
Denial A v oidance; pr ocr as tina tion; f or g e t ting; easily
dis tr act ed; mindless beha vior s; k eeping bus y
all the time; thinking / sa ying “I’ m fine” or
“it ’ s fine”
Shock; numbness; c on fusion;
shut ting do wn
Ang er P essimism; cynicism; sar c asm; irrit ability;
being ag gr essiv e or passiv e-ag gr essiv e;
g e t ting in t o ar gumen ts or ph y sic al figh ts;
incr eased alc ohol or drug use
Frus tr a tion; impa tience;
r esen tmen t; embarr assmen t;
r ag e; f eeling out of c on tr ol
Bar g aining Rumina ting on the futur e; o v er -thinking and
w orr ying; c omparing self t o other s;
pr edicting the futur e and assuming the
w or s t; perf ectionism; thinking / sa ying , “I
should ha v e …” or ”If only …”; judgmen t
t o w ar d self and/ or other s
Guilt; shame; blame; f ear;
an xie ty; insecurity
Depr ession Sleep and appe tit e chang es; r educed
ener gy; r educed social in t er es t; r educed
motiv a tion; cr ying; incr eased alc ohol or drug
use
Sadness; despair;
helplessness; hopelessness;
disappoin tmen t;
o v er whelmed
Accep t ance Mindful beha vior s; eng aging with r eality as
it is; “this is ho w it is righ t no w ”; being
pr esen t in the momen t; able t o be
vulner able & t oler a t e emotions; assertiv e,
non-de f ensiv e, hones t c ommunic a tion;
adap ting , c oping , r esponding skillfully
“ Good enough”; c our ag eous;
v alida tion; Self -c ompassion;
pride; wisdom
T a b l e 2 . F i v e S t a g e s o f G r i e f b y E l i s a b e t h K u b l e r - R o s s
De fining grie f and under s t anding the emotions in v olv ed is crucial when de v eloping a g ame
ar ound this t opic. B y g aining insigh t in t o ho w people ma y e xperience grie f , de v eloper s c an
cr ea t e mor e nuanced and r ealis tic char act er s and s t ories tha t r esona t e with pla y er s.
Under s t anding the pr ocess of grie f also help s cr ea t e a supportiv e and empa the tic g ame w orld,
which c an pr o vide a sa f e space f or pla y er s t o c on fr on t their emotions, f os t er a sense of
c ommunity and under s t anding , and ultima t ely cr ea t e a mor e meaningful g aming e xperience.
Ra ther than depicting e v er y possible emotion in the fiv e s t ag es of grie f , this pr oject cen t er s
ar ound a f e w k e y emotions tha t ha v e r esona t ed with me per sonally and those ar ound me as I
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c ollect ed their s t ories. These emotions and beha vior s include denial, e xpr essed thr ough the
c ommon r e fr ain of "I'm fine"; bar g aining , r e flect ed in though ts lik e "if only things had g one
dif f er en tly"; depr ession, which c an manif es t as o v er whelming sadness; and accep t ance,
demons tr a t ed b y the ability t o adap t and c ope. B y w ea ving these emotions in t o the narr a tiv e
and g ame s y s t em, this pr oject seek s t o cr ea t e an empa the tic and r ela t able s t or y and g amepla y
f or pla y er s t o e xperience.
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C h a p t e r 4 : G a m e D e s i g n , M e c h a n i c s , a n d S t o r y
4 . 1 N a r r a t i v e D e s i g n
The g ame's narr a tiv e design is based on the classic thr ee-act s tructur e, pr o viding pla y er s with a
c ohesiv e and eng aging s t or yline. The summar y of the s t or y c an be outlined as f ollo w s:
Act 1: Disc o v ering Gr andma's Hidden Strug gles
Susu arriv es a t gr andpar en ts’ home. Aft er cha t ting f or a while, gr andma ask s if Susu c an help
her find a sho v el t o r emo v e the w eeds in the g ar den. While sear ching f or the t ool, Susu s tumbles
upon an old and br ok en bik e hidden behind a t able in the shed. Ins t an tly , Susu's e y es ligh t up
with e x cit emen t as she has w an t ed a bik e f or a while.
Ho w e v er , when she ask s her gr andma about the bik e, she senses some hesit a tion in her
r esponse. Despit e Susu's per sis t en t inquiries, gr andma brushes the t opic aside and ask s f or her
help in r emo ving the w eeds. This s tr ang e beha vior lea v es Susu with a nag ging f eeling tha t her
gr andma is hiding some thing about the bik e.
Act 1 depicts gr andma's "denial" s t ag e, char act eriz ed b y her claim tha t she is "fine" and her
r e fusal t o ackno wledg e or t alk about gr andpa's bik e.
Act 2: Helping Gr andma W ork Thr ough Grie f
A f e w w eek s la t er , Susu pa y s another visit t o gr andpar en ts' house but finds her bus y picking
seeds. As Susu w ander s ar ound, she notices tha t the t able wher e the old bik e w as hidden has
been mo v ed. In trigued, Susu decides t o t ak e a closer look a t the bik e, which is old and br ok en.
De t ermined t o r epair it, Susu cleans the bik e and r eplaces the fr on t wheel but disc o v er s tha t the
chain is rus t ed. She ask s gr andma if ther e is an y chain lube t o r emo v e the rus t, but
un f ortuna t ely , ther e isn't an y a v ailable. Not w an ting t o w as t e time, Susu shifts her a t t en tion
back t o helping gr andma with the g ar den.
When Susu r e turns f or another visit, she brings some chain lube with her fr om home and
success fully r emo v es the rus t fr om the bik e chain. Ex cit ed t o t ak e the bik e f or a ride, Susu soon
disc o v er s tha t the back wheel is lock ed and ther e is no k e y t o unlock it. Disappoin t ed, Susu
shar es her frus tr a tion with gr andma, who sug g es ts using a c olor spr a y er t o r ec olor the bik e in
gr andpa's f a v orit e c olor , blue. Susu agr ees, and the y spend the a ft ernoon r ec oloring the bik e.
With the bik e s till unusable, Susu decides t o lend a hand in w a t ering gr andma's g ar den.
Ho w e v er , gr andma f eels sad as she c an't seem t o g e t her flo w er s t o bloom no ma t t er ho w much
she t ak es c ar e of them.
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In Act 2, w e see gr andma g oing thr ough the s t ag es of "bar g aining" and "depr ession". She
e xpr esses her r egr e t f or not ha ving learned about gr andpa's f a v orit e hobb y and displa y s
o v er whelming sadness when t alking about gr andpa and his bik e.
Act 3: R esolution and Gr andma's Inner Unlocking
On the thir d visit, Susu spends the nigh t a t gr andpar en ts’ house. The ne x t morning , she finds
gr andma looking a t an old phot o album filled with pictur es of her and gr andpa with the bik e.
Gr andma shar es s t ories about ho w she bough t the bik e as a gift f or gr andpa on their fir s t
anniv er sar y , and ho w the y used t o ride it e v er y wher e t og e ther . As the y look a t a phot o of when
gr andma g a v e the bik e t o gr andpa, she suddenly r emember s tha t she has a spar e k e y tha t
gr andpa w an t ed her t o k eep. The y sear ch f or the k e y and finally find it, unlocking the bik e. Susu
t ak es gr andma on a ride t o the nearb y sea, and the y enjo y the beautiful scener y t og e ther .
When the y r e turn home, the y notice tha t one of the flo w er s in the g ar den has bloomed
beautifully .
Act 3 mark s the final s t ag e of gr andma's journe y , wher e she mo v es t o w ar ds the s t ag e of
"accep t ance". Thr oughout this s t ag e, she gr adually unlock s her inner c on flict b y c oming t o a
dif f er en t under s t anding of gr andpa's passing. With a ne w f ound per spectiv e, she finds ne w hope
in honoring his memor y b y c on tinuing his leg acies of lo v e and passion.
4 . 2 S y s t e m D e s i g n
The objectiv e of the g ame is t o seamlessly in t egr a t e v arious f ea tur es in or der t o es t ablish a
c ohesiv e s y s t em tha t e xpr esses the c or e theme and o v er all pla y er e xperience.
“St ag es”
Based on Elisabe th K ubler -R oss's Fiv e St ag es of Grie f , this g ame also pr ogr esses in s t ag es,
r e flecting the o v er all g ame narr a tiv e and the thr ee essen tial aspects of the g ame: bik e r epairing ,
g ar dening r e vit aliz a tion, and Gr andma's pr ocess of grie f .
The g ame pr ogr esses o v er f our da y s in the g ame w orld time. Susu visits gr andma's house e v er y
f e w w eek s f or a da y t o assis t with r epairing the bik e and r e vit alizing the g ar den. During this
short time fr ame, the y w ork t og e ther t o c omple t e parts of the t ask s, gr adually impr o ving the
s t a t e of both the bik e and g ar den o v er time. During each visit, Susu disc o v er s mor e about
Gr andma's hidden s trug gles thr ough c on v er sa tions and ob ser v a tions, which leads t o Susu
helping Gr andma chang e her per spectiv e on dea th, and accep t and r ec oncile with it.
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B y r epea ting these elemen ts thr oughout the g ame while adding sub tle v aria tions each time the
pla y er in t er acts with them, the g ame uses the c oncep t of "r epe tition with v aria tion" t o r e flect
chang es in each elemen t and highligh t Gr andma's pr ocess of grie f with the help of Susu. E ach
elemen t pr ogr esses thr ough dif f er en t s t ag es, r e flecting the s t ag es of grie f as w ell.
Da y 1 - Act 1 Da y 2 - Act 2 Da y 3 - Act 2 Da y 4 - Act 3
Bik e Disc o v er ed Cleaned, some
parts fix ed
Fix ed all,
r edec or a t e
Unlock ed,
r e-used
Gar den W eed r emo ving Plan ting ,
w a t ering
W a t ering Blossom
Gr andma Hides the bik e /
her f eelings
T ak es a look a t
the bik e / s t arts
t o r e flect and
in tr ospect
Opens up t o
Susu
Unlock s her
inner s trug gle
and accep ts the
r eality , rides the
bik e with Susu
St ag es of Grie f Denial Bar g aining Depr ession Accep t ance
T a b l e 3 . T h e S t a g e s P r o g r e s s i o n
Signific an t it ems
In addition, the g ame enc our ag es pla y er s t o e xplor e gr andma's home thr ough mini open-w orld
f ea tur es, incen tiv es in Susu and Gr andma's dialogue, and missions in mini-g ames t o find
essen tial it ems. B y pr omp ting pla y er s t o w alk ar ound and in t er act with furnitur e and smaller
it ems, Susu shar es her memories and s t ories of her gr andpar en ts when her gr andpa w as aliv e or
ask s ques tions about her gr andpar en ts tha t she w an ts t o find out. Thr ough learning these
s t ories, pla y er s g ain a deeper under s t anding of who gr andpa w as, wha t memor able s t ories the
f amily has, and wh y gr andma's beha vior is unusual and hesit an t. This gr adual disc o v er y of
gr andma's inner s trug gle with grie f allo w s pla y er s t o tr y and help her thr ough the pr ocess.
Cor e Loop
The g ame r e v olv es ar ound a narr a tiv e tha t un f olds o v er a span of f our da y s, with a cen tr al loop
tha t driv es the g amepla y as described belo w:
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F i g . 4 . 1 . C o r e g a m e l o o p o f W h e r e t h e S e a M e e t s t h e S k y
Thr ough the e xposur e t o a c onsis t en t se t of g ame objects and scenes with sligh t v aria tions in
mechanics and object s t a t es, pla y er s e xperience "r epe tition with v aria tion". This appr oach
es t ablishes a pa t t ern while inc orpor a ting ne w elemen ts, emotions, and e xperiences tha t build
on the original, r esulting in a sense of unity and c oher ence. The t echnique also adds c omple xity
and nuance t o the g amepla y e xperience.
4 . 3 C h a r a c t e r D e v e l o p m e n t
Designing the char act er s is crucial t o shaping the o v er all e xperience of the g ame, in fluencing
k e y elemen ts such as dialogue, in t er action, motiv a tion, emotion, and s t or y pr ogr ession. In this
g ame, the dynamic be tw een the tw o main char act er s, Susu and gr andma, driv es the s t or yline
f or w ar d. The char act er s, including gr andpa, ar e primarily inspir ed b y m y per sonal e xperiences,
as w ell as s t ories fr om friends, f amily , and other s who ha v e g one thr ough similar situa tions.
T og e ther , their s t ories f orm the f ounda tion of the g ame's narr a tiv e and mechanics, guiding
pla y er s on a journe y of w orking thr ough dea th and grie f .
Humanoid char act er design
In this g ame, the main char act er s ar e humanoid animal char act er s r a ther than humans, which
in t en tionally cr ea t es a dis t ance fr om the g ame w orld t o r eal lif e. While using human char act er s
is oft en e f f ectiv e in e xploring serious t opics as the y ar e mor e r ela t able and r ealis tic, lik e in
BoJack Horseman (Bob-W ak sber g , 2014-2020), the use of humanoid animal char act er s in this
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g ame pr o vides pla y er s with a sa f e en vir onmen t t o in tr ospect their emotions and f eelings
without g e t ting t oo close t o their o wn e xperiences, f os t ering a sense of sa f e ty and security .
F i g . 4 . 2 . S c r e e n s h o t f r o m B o J a c k H o r s e m a n ( B o b - W a k s b e r g , 2 0 1 4 - 2 0 2 0 )
Susu
Susu is a liv ely six - y ear -old child who lo v es t o ea t fruits, drink soda, r ead childr en's art book s,
and pla y outside with her friends. She especially enjo y ed s t a ying with her gr andpar en ts, who
alw a y s g a v e her the things she lo v ed mos t: her f a v orit e f ood, drink s, and t o y s. When gr andpa
passed a w a y , Susu c ouldn't under s t and wh y e v er y one w as so sad. T o her , it seemed lik e gr andpa
had jus t mo v ed f ar a w a y . Susu held on t o the belie f tha t the y w ould e v en tually r eunit e, despit e
gr andpa being f ar fr om home.
F i g . 4 . 3 . S u s u c h a r a c t e r d e s i g n
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Gr andma
Gr andma is an en thusias tic paper -cut ting artis t who enjo y s drinking black t ea. She is a positiv e
and ener g e tic per son who lo v es sharing her e xperiences and s t ories with other s. When gr andpa
passed a w a y , she s t a y ed with Susu and her par en ts f or a while be f or e deciding t o mo v e back t o
their o wn house. In memor y of gr andpa, gr andma decided t o learn g ar dening , as she belie v ed
tha t learning wha t he lo v ed t o do w ould be a w a y of honoring him. Despit e her a t t emp ts t o s t a y
positiv e and accep ting , she s trug gled with the r eality tha t gr andpa w as g one, kno wing tha t the y
w ould ne v er mee t ag ain. Gr andma f ound it challenging t o t alk about the bik e, which w as
gr andpa's mos t pr ecious it em and s ymboliz ed their lo v e and memories t og e ther .
F i g . 4 . 4 . G r a n d m a c h a r a c t e r d e s i g n
Gr andpa
E v en though gr andpa is not ph y sic ally pr esen t in the g ame, he pla y s a crucial r ole in shaping the
g ame's f ounda tion. As an in tr o v ert ed per son, gr andpa didn't speak much when Susu visit ed, but
he alw a y s r emember ed her f a v orit e things and pr epar ed her f a v orit e f ood, drink s, and t o y s.
Gr andpa had a passion f or g ar dening , and he alw a y s k ep t his g ar den beautiful and vibr an t. He
also enjo y ed doing hand-cr a ft ed w ork and support ed gr andma's paper -cut ting art. Ho w e v er , the
mos t signific an t aspect of gr andpa's lif e w as his belo v ed bik e, which he r eceiv ed as a gift fr om
gr andma. Gr andpa r ode the bik e e v er y wher e and t ook gr andma t o the nearb y f or es t and sea.
The bik e bec ame a s ymbol of their lo v e and memories, and it holds a special place in their
hearts.
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4 . 4 M i n i G a m e s
Ther e ar e tw o main types of mini-g ames: Bik e r epairing and g ar den r e vit alizing. The mini g ames
allo w the pla y er s t o eng ag e in healing pr ocesses although the y do not necessarily ha v e t o
under s t and the mapping be tw een the design and tha t healing. The mini g ames ar e designed t o
f eel dieg e tic t o the s t or y but also oper a t e within the grie ving pr ocess.
Bik e r epairing - “healing w ounds”
Pla y er s will disc o v er an old and br ok en bik e in the shed, sear ch the house f or use ful t ools and
fr agmen ts, and solv e puzzles with the help of gr andma about r epairing the bik e. The bik e r epair
pr ocess is divided in t o thr ee s t ep s: Disc o v er , R ec o v er , and Unlock. The pr ocess of r epairing the
bik e is a me t aphor f or the healing of gr andma's emotional w ounds, as Susu, the main char act er ,
gr adually learns about her gr andpar en ts' pas t and help s gr andma c ome t o a ne w under s t anding
of gr andpa's passing and find peace in the f ace of loss.
Disc o v er
Susu s tumbles upon the br ok en bik e in the fir s t chap t er of the g ame, which is hidden behind a
t able. When Susu inquir es about the bik e, gr andma de flects and a v oids discussing it, hin ting a t a
deeper s trug gle within her . This not only mark s Susu's disc o v er y of the bik e but also r e v eals her
r ealiz a tion of gr andma's inner turmoil and her sense of c oncealmen t.
F i g . 4 . 5 . S c r e e n s h o t o f S u s u d i s c o v e r s t h e b i k e
R ec o v er
2 0
Ov er the ne x t tw o chap t er s, Susu embark s on a mission t o r es t or e the bik e t o its f ormer look,
back t o the time when it belong ed t o gr andpa. Ther e ar e f our puzzles in the r ec o v er y pr ocess,
each with its unique se t of t ools and solutions: dus t cleaning , chain rus t r emo v al, wheel
r eplacemen t, and c olor spr a ying.
In the dus t cleaning puzzle, pla y er s will find and c ollect a spong e fr om the shed and use it t o
wipe a w a y the la y er s of dus t tha t ha v e accumula t ed on the bik e. B y holding and s wiping the
spong e acr oss the surf ace of the bik e, pla y er s c an achie v e a spotless shine. This puzzle in v olv es
a r ang e of in t er actions, such as w alking , in t er acting , picking up, dr ag ging and dr opping , holding ,
and s wiping.
F i g . 4 . 6 . S c r e e n s h o t o f c l e a n i n g t h e b i k e
The wheel r eplacemen t puzzle in tr oduces ne w in t er actions, including the sear ch f or a wheel,
disassembling the wheel, and r eassembling the ne w wheel. This puzzle builds on the mechanics
learned in the pr e vious puzzle and challeng es pla y er s t o use them in ne w w a y s while le t ting
them learn a ne w mechanic of disassembling and r eassembling.
2 1
F i g . 4 . 7 . S c r e e n s h o t o f f i n a l i z e d w h e e l r e p l a c e m e n t
In the chain rus t r emo v al puzzle, pla y er s will use the kno wledg e and skills the y ha v e acquir ed in
the pr e vious puzzles t o disassemble and r eassemble the chain c o v er pieces, while learn a ne w
in t er action of r ot a ting and shaking the chain lube t o apply it on the brush. This puzzle r equir es
pla y er s t o in t er act with the bik e in mor e c omple x w a y s, including dr ag ging and dr opping ,
holding , and r ot a ting.
F i g . 4 . 8 . S c r e e n s h o t o f r u s t r e m o v i n g m i n i - g a m e
2 2
The final s t ep is the c olor spr a ying puzzle, wher e pla y er s will find a c an of spr a y pain t in the shed
and use it t o c olor the bik e. This simple but sa tis f ying puzzle in v olv es the same in t er actions used
in the cleaning puzzles, allo wing pla y er s t o pr actice and c onsolida t e their kno wledg e.
F i g . 4 . 9 . S c r e e n s h o t o f s p r a y e d b i k e
During the bik e r ec o v er y pr ocess, pla y er s ar e gr adually in tr oduced t o ne w mechanics and
in t er actions as the y pr ogr ess thr ough the puzzles. E ach puzzle f ocuses on t eaching and
pr acticing a specific in t er action, which is then c arried o v er t o the ne x t puzzle, along with the
in tr oduction of a ne w in t er action. This appr oach allo w s pla y er s t o learn and pr actice the
mechanics gr adually without o v er whelming them with t oo much ne w in f orma tion a t once. B y
in tr oducing ne w mechanics gr adually in each puzzle, pla y er s ar e able t o build on their e xis ting
kno wledg e and skills, r esulting in a mor e r e w ar ding and enjo y able g aming e xperience.
Unlock
The final objectiv e of the bik e r epairing mini-g ame is t o unlock the bik e's wheel. Susu and
gr andma w ork t og e ther t o find the k e y and use it t o r emo v e the lock, enabling them t o ride the
bik e once ag ain. This s ymbolic act r epr esen ts a signific an t miles t one in their emotional journe y ,
as it signifies gr andma's accep t ance and r esolution of her inner s trug gles r ela t ed t o gr andpa's
passing. Thr ough r epairing the bik e and learning about its his t or y , Susu help s gr andma find a
ne w w a y t o r emember gr andpa and mo v e f or w ar d.
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Gar den r e vit alizing - “ gr o wing hope”
As a sec ondar y series of mini-g ames, the g ar dening pr ocess in v olv es simpler in t er actions
c ompar ed t o bik e r epairing but s till adher es t o the "s t ag es" design tha t is c onsis t en t thr oughout
the g ame. The g ar dening pr ocess c onsis ts of f our s t ep s: r emo ving w eeds, plan ting seeds,
w a t ering , and blossoming.
In each s t ep of the g ar dening pr ocess, pla y er s mus t loc a t e the necessar y t ools ar ound the house
t o c omple t e the s t ep. F or e x ample, pla y er s need a sho v el t o r emo v e the w eeds, mus t pick up
seeds fr om a bag , and need a w a t ering c an t o w a t er the flo w er s. The in t er actions ar e c onsis t en t
with those f ound thr oughout the g ame: pla y er s c an w alk ar ound, in t er act with objects, pick up
it ems, and perf orm v arious actions using the same k e yboar d k e y .
F i g . 4 . 1 0 . S c r e e n s h o t s o f t h e g a r d e n i n g p r o c e s s
The final s t ep of g ar dening is the blossoming s t ag e, which mark s the emotional clima x of the
g ame. Aft er s trug gling t o gr o w the flo w er s success fully , gr andma finally witnesses the blooming
of one of the flo w er s, which s ymboliz es a ne w sense of hope and r ene w al f ollo wing gr andpa's
passing.
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F i g . 4 . 1 1 . S c r e e n s h o t o f f l o w e r b l o s s o m
Gar dening is a pr ocess of gr o wing ne w hope. Aft er gr andpa's passing , the g ar den f ell in t o
neglect. Gr andma, ho w e v er , decides t o r e viv e it b y learning and c on tinuing gr andpa's passion
f or g ar dening as a w a y of pa ying homag e t o his memor y . Gr andma's desir e t o gr o w the flo w er s
her self r epr esen ts her a t t emp t t o c ome t o t erms with Gr andpa's passing. Ho w e v er , her fr equen t
f ailur es when g ar dening alone sho w s tha t she needs help fr om other people. As Susu, pla y er s
c an assis t gr andma in fulfilling her wish of honoring gr andpa b y doing wha t he enjo y ed, which
c an help her disc o v er ne w hope a ft er gr andpa’ s passing.
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C h a p t e r 5 : U s e r F e e d b a c k
5 . 1 O v e r a l l R e c e p t i o n
Ov er all, the g ame r eceiv ed positiv e f eedback fr om pla y er s during and a ft er the pla y t es t
sessions, who c onnect ed deeply with the char act er s and empa thiz ed with their e xperiences of
grie f . Pla y er s e xpr essed a sense of c ompassion and under s t anding f or the char act er s' s trug gles,
and man y w er e mo v ed b y specific momen ts in the g ame. The pla y t es t ob ser v a tions and sur v e y
sho w ed tha t the g ame success fully c on v e y ed the dif ficult e xperience of losing a lo v ed one while
also f os t ering empa th y and c onnection among pla y er s.
Dialogue and s t or yline
The g ame's char act er s ar e imbued with their o wn dis tinct per sonalities based on r eal-lif e
individuals. Their dialogues and c on v er sa tions e f f ectiv ely sho w c ase their unique tr aits, allo wing
pla y er s t o es t ablish an emotional c onnection with them easily . This c onnection is further
s tr eng thened b y the r ela t able na tur e of the char act er s' per sonalities, which mirr or those of
people tha t pla y er s ma y kno w in r eal lif e. This f amiliarity allo w s pla y er s t o be t t er c ompr ehend
and f ollo w the s t or y's pr ogr ession and underlying themes, f acilit a ting a deeper sense of
empa th y .
The g ame's use of e v er y da y dialogues and c on v er sa tions also adds t o its in tuitiv e na tur e, with
man y pla y er s e v en pr edicting wha t the char act er s will sa y be f or e the y speak. Such in tuitiv e and
r ela t able c on v er sa tions mak e it easier f or pla y er s t o eng ag e with the s t or y and char act er s,
further s tr eng thening their emotional c onnection and enhancing their under s t anding of the
messag es tha t the g ame is e xpr essing.
Le v el and en vir onmen t al design
The g ame's lo w poly art s tyle not only adds t o its charm but also cr ea t es a sense of c o ziness tha t
pla y er s find endearing. The use of brigh t ligh ting , in c onjunction with the lo w poly art s tyle,
further accen tua t es this f eeling , cr ea ting an in viting and friendly a tmospher e. The le v el and
en vir onmen t al design ar e c ar e fully cr a ft ed t o c omplemen t this s tyle, using pas t el c olor s and soft
edg es t o cr ea t e a w orld tha t f eels s w ee t, clean, and clear .
This design choice has been widely pr aised b y pla y er s, who find the g ame w orld t o be visually
appealing and appr oachable. The w elc oming na tur e of the g ame's design enc our ag es pla y er s t o
e xplor e their surr oundings, in t er act with v arious it ems, and disc o v er the hidden secr e ts and
s t ories tha t ar e tuck ed a w a y in the g ame w orld. As a r esult, pla y er s bec ome fully immer sed in
the g ame, and the en vir onmen t bec omes an in t egr al part of the o v er all g amepla y e xperience.
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Theme and emotional e xperience
The g ame's appr oach t o the sensitiv e t opic of dea th and grie f is both unique and e f f ectiv e. B y
pr esen ting the theme in a positiv e ligh t, the g ame help s pla y er s f eel a c onnection t o the
messag e it c on v e y s. The lo w -poly art s tyle, brigh t ligh ting , and soothing sound e f f ects pr o vide a
c om f orting a tmospher e tha t mak es pla y er s f eel a t ease. This appr oach allo w s the g ame t o
e xplor e hea v y t opics without o v er whelming or trig g ering pla y er s who ma y ha v e e xperienced
similar situa tions.
The g ame's theme is also uplifting , pr o viding pla y er s with a positiv e emotional e xperience. B y
enc our aging pla y er s t o c on tinue the leg acies of their lo v ed ones, the g ame of f er s a fr esh
per spectiv e on ho w t o r emember them. The messag e is one of hope and fulfillmen t, assuring
pla y er s tha t e v en though their lo v ed ones ar e no long er with them, the y c an c on tinue t o
in fluence and inspir e them thr ough their leg acy . This theme r esona t es positiv ely with pla y er s
and c an pr o vide a ne w w a y of thinking f or those who ha v e g one thr ough similar e xperiences,
of f ering a sense of hope f or the futur e.
5 . 2 I s s u e s a n d I t e r a t i o n s
Although the pla y t es t f eedback w as g ener ally positiv e, ther e w er e s till some issues tha t w er e
iden tified in pr e vious it er a tions. Her e ar e tw o specific issues tha t w er e iden tified, along with the
it er a tions tha t w er e made t o addr ess them.
Skipping dialogue
During the initial s t ag es, in an e f f ort t o c ommunic a t e the dialogue messag e clearly t o the
pla y er s, some of the c on v er sa tions w er e quit e leng th y and c on t ained multiple sen t ences.
Un f ortuna t ely , this appr oach had a neg a tiv e impact on pla y er eng ag emen t, as the y pr e f err ed t o
in t er act with the g ame w orld r a ther than r ead long sen t ences and c on v er sa tions. Consequen tly ,
man y pla y er s skipped dialogues and missed import an t in f orma tion such as char act er memories
and ques t objectiv es.
T o addr ess this issue, I r e w ork ed the dialogue t o mak e it c oncise enough t o be r ead in a single
glance. B y br eaking do wn the long sen t ences in t o short er ones, pla y er s w er e mor e inclined t o
r ead the dialogue in its en tir e ty . Additionally , I c ondensed the narr a tiv e de t ails b y r emo ving
unnecessar y in f orma tion fr om char act er dialogues and inc orpor a ting them in t o the e xplor a tiv e
en vir onmen t al in t er actions. This appr oach enabled pla y er s t o ob t ain in f orma tion b y in t er acting
with the g ame w orld, ther eb y boos ting their eng ag emen t with the g ame's narr a tiv e.
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T o emphasiz e critic al in f orma tion such as char act er memories and ques t objectiv es, I utiliz ed
t e x t c olor chang es and anima tions t o gr ab pla y er s' a t t en tion while the y w er e r eading the
dialogues. Furthermor e, I implemen t ed r eminder dialogues f or pla y er s t o r e visit their ques ts b y
in t er acting with the char act er s and inc orpor a t ed a HUD UI t o displa y the ques t names in the
upper righ t c orner of the scr een. Aft er implemen ting these impr o v emen ts, pla y er s w er e able t o
f ollo w the s t or yline and their ques ts without an y c on fusion or t o g e t s tuck due t o f or g e t ting
their missions.
Not willing t o e xplor e
Explor a tion is a crucial aspect of the g ame since man y of the memories and s t ories ar e
c on v e y ed thr ough e xploring the g ame w orld and in t er acting with it ems. Ho w e v er , in pr e vious
it er a tions of the g ame, some pla y er s w er e not willing t o e xplor e the w orld be y ond the main
s t or yline and r equir ed ques ts. This r esult ed in pla y er s missing out on import an t in f orma tion,
r educing their eng ag emen t and emotional c onnection t o the char act er s and narr a tiv e.
T o addr ess this issue, I made chang es t o the s t or yline and le v el design. Ra ther than pr o viding
it ems f or mini-g ames dir ectly t o pla y er s or placing them in ob vious loc a tions, I mo v ed them t o
hidden ar eas lik e shelv es and t ables, enc our aging pla y er s t o in t er act with it ems in the g ame
w orld. I also made chang es t o the main s t or yline t o include e xplor a t or y momen ts. Char act er s
w ould sug g es t pla y er s e xplor e b y sa ying , “It ’ s alw a y s fun t o check things ar ound in gr andma’ s
house” and other similar r eminder s. This enc our ag ed pla y er s t o e xplor e the w orld mor e
fr equen tly , making the narr a tiv e mor e c omple t e and eng aging.
Bik e mechanics it er a tions
Initially , the bik e-r ela t ed mini-g ames w er e designed t o emula t e m y gr andf a ther's hobb y of
main t aining his bik e, with the g oal of cr ea ting a r ealis tic bik e r epair pr ocess. Ho w e v er , pla y t es t
r esults sho w ed tha t the mini-g ames w er e t oo c omple x f or pla y er s and tha t the onboar ding
pr ocess w as not e f f ectiv e. Pla y er s had t o learn ne w c on tr ols and in t er actions f or each ne w
mini-g ame, and the kno wledg e and skills the y learned in pr e vious mini-g ames w er e not
tr ans f err ed t o sub sequen t ones. This r educed the pla y ability of the mini-g ames and cr ea t ed
c on fusion f or pla y er s, as the c omple xity of the bik e-r ela t ed mini-g ames did not ma t ch the
r ela x ed and in tuitiv e t one of the r es t of the g ame.
T o addr ess this issue, I r edesigned the bik e-r ela t ed mini-g ames fr om scr a t ch and simplified the
mechanics t o be t t er align with the o v er all e xperience of the g ame. I r educed the number of
in t er actions t o jus t thr ee: click, hold, and s wipe, and used these t o c omple t e all of the
mini-g ames. I also r eor der ed the mini-g ames in a w a y tha t allo w ed pla y er s t o build on their
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pr e vious kno wledg e and skills, cr ea ting a sense of self -e f fic acy . These chang es impr o v ed the
c oher ence of the g ame and made it a mor e enjo y able and in tuitiv e e xperience f or pla y er s.
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C h a p t e r 6 : C o n c l u s i o n
Appr oaching the t opic of dea th and grie f in a video g ame c an be challenging , as it is a sensitiv e
t opic tha t a f f ects people in dif f er en t w a y s. Ho w e v er , ther e ar e se v er al w a y s a video g ame c an
appr oach the t opic of dea th and grie f in a positiv e manner , and pr o vide pla y er s with a
supportiv e and empa the tic en vir onmen t t o help them na vig a t e their ber ea v emen t:
Under s t anding the emotions and the healing pr ocess
In the de v elopmen t of g ames tha t aim t o e v ok e c omple x and hea v y emotions lik e grie f , it is
essen tial f or de v eloper s t o deeply under s t and the emotion and its s t ag es be f or e cr a fting the
g ame's char act er s and s t or ylines. This le v el of emotional under s t anding is crucial f or cr ea ting
r ela t able and emotionally impactful e xperiences f or pla y er s. B y c onnecting with in-g ame
char act er s and s t ories of ho w the y f eel and ho w their emotions ar e pr ocessed thr ough time,
pla y er s ar e giv en the opportunity t o empa thiz e with the char act er s and r e flect on their o wn
e xperiences and emotions. This ultima t ely allo w s pla y er s t o learn and accep t the messag es
c on v e y ed thr ough the g ame, leading t o a deeper sense of in tr ospection and per sonal gr o w th.
T o fully gr asp the pr ocess of grie ving and its associa t ed journe y , it is crucial t o c ompr ehend
Elisabe th K ubler -R oss’ s Fiv e St ag es of Grie f . In this pr oject, the g ame s y s t em and narr a tiv e ha v e
been designed with the inc orpor a tion of these s t ag es. This design pr o vides a r ealis tic and
r ela t able healing pr ocess f or pla y er s, which enables them t o c onnect emotionally with the
char act er s and the s t or yline, ther eb y enhancing their o v er all e xperience.
Sa f e, supportiv e, and empa the tic g ame w orld
Grie f is a c omple x and oft en o v er whelming emotion tha t c an lead people t o f eel isola t ed and
alone. Pr o viding a sa f e, supportiv e, and empa the tic en vir onmen t is crucial t o help individuals
e xperiencing grie f f eel v alida t ed and under s t ood, f os t ering a sense of c ommunity tha t is an
import an t s t ep in the healing pr ocess. This is also true in the c on t e x t of g aming , wher e such an
en vir onmen t pr o vides a risk - fr ee space f or pla y er s t o e xplor e and e xperimen t with their
emotions and actions, fr ee fr om the f ear of r eal-lif e c onsequences. B y cr ea ting an a tmospher e
tha t enc our ag es emotional e xplor a tion and under s t anding , g ames c an bec ome po w erful t ools
f or healing , allo wing pla y er s t o r e flect on their e xperiences and emotions in a sa f e and
ther apeutic w a y .
P ositiv e under s t anding of dea th and grie f
Thr ough immer siv e e xperiences and eng aging w orlds, g ames ha v e the ability t o send messag es
about ho w t o under s t and dea th and grie f in a positiv e manner . This c an help normaliz e the
grie ving pr ocess, allo wing pla y er s t o r ec ogniz e tha t their f eelings ar e normal and c ommon and
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r educing f eelings of loneliness and isola tion. B y pr omoting a positiv e under s t anding of grie f ,
g ames c an also help pla y er s find meaning and purpose in their loss. The y c an enc our ag e pla y er s
t o cherish the v alue of the r ela tionship s the y had with the per son who died and inspir e them t o
honor their memor y in meaningful w a y s.
Op timis tic portr a y al of the a ft erlif e
When individuals ar e f aced with the loss of a lo v ed one, the uncert ain ty of wha t happens a ft er
dea th c an be a sour ce of f ear and o v er whelming emotion. Pr o viding an op timis tic and pr omising
portr a y al of the a ft erlif e in the g ame c an help alle via t e this f ear b y of f ering c om f ort and hope.
B y en visioning their lo v ed one in a peace ful and sa f e place, people c an find a sense of r elie f tha t
their lo v ed one is no long er suf f ering. Additionally , a positiv e portr a y al of the a ft erlif e c an
enc our ag e people t o accep t dea th as a na tur al part of the human lif e cy cle and t o f ocus on
celebr a ting the lif e and memor y of their lo v ed ones r a ther than dw elling on their passing.
F ocus on positiv e memories
F ocusing on positiv e memories shar ed with lo v ed ones c an be a po w erful w a y f or individuals t o
c ope with the pain of loss. B y r ec alling happ y momen ts and cherished e xperiences, people c an
find c om f ort and solace in the mids t of grie f . In a g ame, these memories c an be e xpr essed
thr ough signific an t it ems or s t ories tha t help pla y er s f eel c onnect ed t o their lo v ed ones,
f os t ering a sense of closeness and emotional r esonance. Thr ough this pr ocess, pla y er s c an see
their lo v ed one's lif e as a celebr a tion of the jo y and happiness the y br ough t t o other s r a ther
than f ocusing solely on the sadness and loss of their passing. B y k eeping these positiv e
memories aliv e in the g ame, pla y er s c an honor their lo v ed ones' leg acy and find healing thr ough
the pr ocess of grie f .
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C h a p t e r 7 : P o s t s c r i p t
De v eloping this pr oject w as a signific an t decision tha t c ame with a hug e risk. I w as in the middle
of m y thesis pr oduction when I r eceiv ed the ne w s of m y Y e Y e (Chinese f or pa t ernal
gr andf a ther), Zhongxin Liu’ s passing. A t tha t time, I w as f ocusing on m y original thesis t opic.
Ho w e v er , his passing c omple t ely chang ed m y lif e. Though I w as in o v er whelming pain, I kne w I
w an t ed t o cr ea t e some thing t o honor his memor y and help m y self and other s who w er e
e xperiencing similar f eelings w ork thr ough the pain of losing a lo v ed one. This is wh y I decided
t o chang e m y thesis t opic and r es t art fr om scr a t ch a ft er one whole semes t er of g ame
pr oduction. It w as a risky decision, but I kne w it w as the righ t one, e v en though it mean t a
tigh t er schedule and a mor e s tr ess ful thesis y ear .
Initially , I had no idea wha t kind of g ame I w ould cr ea t e bec ause I had ne v er de v eloped a g ame
on such a hea v y t opic. I alw a y s a v oided t opics lik e these bec ause I though t the y w er e t oo
sensitiv e and challenging t o design and de v elop. My fir s t s t ep w as t o r e flect on m y e xperience
and f eelings, and I r ealiz ed tha t I kne w nothing about the emotions and the pr ocess of grie f ,
which deepened m y an xie ty and f ear . As a r esult, I s t art ed learning about Elisabe th
K ubler -R oss's Fiv e St ag es of Grie f , which helped me under s t and tha t all m y f eelings and
beha vior s w er e normal and c ommon t o people who ar e e xperiencing the same. This
under s t anding made me f eel mor e r elie v ed and support ed bec ause I kne w tha t all m y emotions
w er e v alid and an essen tial part of the grie ving pr ocess.
The inspir a tion f or Susu and her under s t anding of dea th c ame fr om m y e xperience with m y
c ousin when w e w er e ar ound six y ear s old. A t tha t time, m y c ousin's gr andf a ther had passed
a w a y , and w e didn't under s t and the meaning of dea th. W e w er e c on fused about wh y e v er y one
else seemed sad, and w e didn't fully gr asp the pain of losing someone. My c oncep t of dea th w as
v ague a t tha t poin t. When someone e xplained t o us tha t his passing mean t w e w ould ne v er see
him ag ain, w e w er e s till c on fused and imagined tha t ma ybe he had mo v ed some wher e so f ar
a w a y tha t it w as dif ficult f or us t o visit him. This under s t anding f ormed the c or e c oncep t of
Susu, which e xplor es ho w w e c an think of dea th in a f an t as y w a y . In the g ame, Susu r epr esen ts
m y y oung er self , while the gr andma r epr esen ts m y curr en t self , and Susu's help t o her gr andma
sho w s ho w m y y oung er self is helping m y curr en t self .
Apart fr om under s t anding the pr ocess of grie f and the meaning of dea th, I decided t o learn
mor e about m y gr andf a ther and used this g ame as a virtual memorial f or him. I t alk ed t o m y
f a ther and disc o v er ed tha t m y gr andf a ther lo v ed t aking c ar e of his bik e when m y f a ther w as
y oung. He oft en used gr een and blue t apes t o r ec olor the bik e, making it unique and beautiful.
This s t or y shaped the main narr a tiv e and mechanics of m y g ame. Fixing a bik e tha t once
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belong ed t o m y gr andf a ther bec ame a r epr esen t a tion of fixing Susu's gr andma and also fixing
m y self .
In addition t o fixing , I also w an t ed t o in fuse m y g ame with a sense of "gr o wing hope" tha t w ould
help me appr oach the t opic of dea th in a positiv e w a y . The inspir a tion f or this c ame fr om
another s t or y about m y gr andf a ther tha t I had not kno wn be f or e. Despit e fr equen t visits t o m y
gr andpar en ts’ home, I alw a y s assumed m y gr andmother w as r esponsible f or the g ar den.
Ho w e v er , m y f a ther r e v ealed tha t it w as actually m y gr andf a ther who t ended t o the g ar den and
fr on t y ar d as a hobb y . I w as mo v ed b y this disc o v er y and decided t o inc orpor a t e it in t o the g ame
b y allo wing pla y er s t o r es t or e the g ar den alongside Susu's gr andmother . In doing so , I f eel lik e I
am helping m y gr andf a ther r ekindle his lo v e f or g ar dening , learning mor e about his in t er es ts,
and g aining a ne w f ound appr ecia tion f or ho w w e c an honor the memor y of our lo v ed ones.
When I shar ed m y idea of cr ea ting a virtual memorial with m y par en ts, the y w er e fully
supportiv e. The y belie v ed tha t cr ea ting a virtual space wher e w e c ould r e visit wha t m y Y e Y e
lo v ed w as an e x cellen t w a y t o r emember him and k eep his memor y aliv e. Acc or ding t o them,
this virtual space w ould allo w us t o r ec all pas t memories when Y e Y e w as s till health y , ther eb y
honoring his lif e. The virtual memorial is a space wher e the living c an in t er act with the passed
lo v ed ones and honor their memor y . It ser v es as a place f or us t o c onnect with those who ha v e
passed on and t o celebr a t e their liv es. In this w a y , the virtual memorial bec omes a po w erful t ool
f or pr eser ving the memories of our lo v ed ones and pr o viding c om f ort t o those who ar e grie ving.
During m y final semes t er of thesis y ear , while I w as in the pr oduction pr ocess of this pr oject, m y
ma t ernal gr andf a ther W an yi Zheng , whom I c alled Lao Y e in Chinese, passed a w a y due t o
Co vid-19. His loss w as heartbr eaking f or me, especially since I had spen t m y childhood living
with m y ma t ernal gr andpar en ts. Ho w e v er , this time I f ound it easier t o w ork thr ough m y grie f
bec ause I had g ained kno wledg e about ho w people typic ally r eact t o the passing of a lo v ed one.
I r ealiz ed tha t m y f eelings and emotions w er e normal and v alid, which helped me t o c ome t o
t erms with his passing.
I also tried doing wha t m y Lao Y e lo v ed as a w a y t o memoriz e him, lik e in the g ame tha t I
cr ea t ed. Since he lo v ed r eading book s, I decided t o inc orpor a t e this in t o m y daily r outine and
beg an r eading e v er y da y as a w a y t o r emember and honor him. Thr ough this simple act, I f ound
a ne w sense of c onnection t o m y gr andf a ther and a w a y t o k eep his memor y aliv e.
De v eloping this pr oject is not jus t about making a g ame. Mor e import an tly , it is m y w a y of
healing m y self and helping m y self w ork thr ough m y grie f . B y analy zing m y o wn e xperiences and
f eelings and finding pot en tial solutions and w a y s of healing , I ha v e f ound a health y w a y t o c ope
3 3
with the pain of losing m y Y e Y e and Lao Y e. Furthermor e, cr ea ting a g ame tha t honor s the
memor y of m y Y e Y e pr o vides a virtual memorial t o him. An y time I w an t t o cherish his memor y , I
c an c ome t o this g ame, help clean and fix his f a v orit e bik e, r e vit aliz e his g ar den, r ead about his
pas t lif e and habits, and w ork thr ough m y o wn pain b y helping Susu's gr andma w ork thr ough
her grie f .
3 4
B i b l i o g r a p h y
Bob-W ak sber g , R . (Cr ea t or). (2014-2020). BoJack Horseman [T ele vision Series]. Ne tflix.
Carpen t er , B. (2017). Speaking of Ps ychology: Making t alking about death easier , with Brian
Carpen t er , PhD . Americ an P s y chology Associa tion. R e trie v ed Mar ch 22, 2023, fr om
h t tp s://w w w .apa.or g /ne w s/podc as ts/ speaking-of -p s y chology/t alking-dea th
Chaz elle, D . (Dir ect or). (2014). Whiplash [Film]. Bold Films. Blumhouse Pr oductions.
Cla f f y , E. (2011). Video games in school pro vide s tuden ts a saf e plac e t o 'f ail'. Bak er s field.
R e trie v ed Mar ch 22, 2023 fr om
h t tp s://w w w .bak er s field.c om/ opinion/video-g ames-in-school-pr o vide-s tuden ts-a-sa f e-place-t o-
f ail/ article_f4bb8066-5951-579d-936b-4b9a6ec4ab89.h tml
K ubitz, M. (2021). No , Y ou’ re Not Crazy: The Need F or Shared Experienc es In Grie f . Aliv e In
Memor y . R e trie v ed Mar ch 22, 2023, fr om
h t tp s://w w w .aliv einmemor y .or g /2021/06/02/no- y our e-not -cr az y -the-need- f or -shar ed-e xperien
ces-in-grie f/#.ZBurbXbMIuV
K ubler -R oss, E. (1969). On Death and Dying . Ne w Y ork, NY : The Macmillan Compan y .
Naugh ty Dog. (2013). The Las t of Us [Video g ame]. Son y In t er activ e En t ert ainmen t. Pla ySt a tion
3.
R ock s t ar Studios. (2018). R ed Dead R edemp tion 2 [Video g ame]. R ock s t ar Games. Pla ySt a tion 4,
Xbo x One.
3 5

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Asset Metadata

Creator Liu, Zhengzhuo "Elsa" (author)

Core Title Working through death and grief with a video game: the design and development of Where the sea meets the sky

School School of Cinematic Arts

Degree Master of Fine Arts

Degree Program Interactive Media

Degree Conferral Date 2023-05

Publication Date 04/03/2023

Defense Date 03/31/2023

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Death,emotional experience,empathetic game world,game,game design,game development,Grief,grieving profess,Interactive Media,meaningful game,narrative-driven game,OAI-PMH Harvest,puzzle game,safe gaming space,stages of grief,video game,video game and heavy topics

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Lemarchand, Richard (committee chair), Bolas, Mark (committee member), Nealen, Andy (committee member)

Creator Email elsaliu666@gmail.com,zhengzhl@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC112922132

Unique identifier UC112922132

Identifier etd-LiuZhengzh-11552.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-LiuZhengzh-11552

Document Type Thesis

Format theses (aat)

Rights Liu, Zhengzhuo "Elsa"

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20230404-usctheses-batch-1015 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu