Tristan and Oliver tune into the frequency of Night School Studio’s cult classic, Oxenfree, as they interrupt your broadcast with these three bits:

1. Communication as the main mechanic - Tackling all the items of a traditional adventure game with a single mechanic

2. Walking and Talking - Narrative pacing and the dynamic dialogue system

3. 3D interactivity in a 2D environment - How Night School Studio blended art style with level design tricks to depth in the 2D spaces

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Some References:

“I thought we were going to go out of business” - Sean Krankel on the development of Oxenfree - Chris Wallace, MCV develop (article)

Building Game Mechanics to Elevate Narrative in Oxenfree - Sean Krankel (GDC talk)

5 Game Design Innovations from 2016: Oxenfree - Natural Conversations - Mark Brown, GMTK (video essay)

Road to the IGF: Night School Studio's Oxenfree - Bryant Francis, Game Developer (article)

The Very Best and Worst Thing in Oxenfree: Game Design Review - Platformer Game Design (video essay)

Dramatic Storytelling & Narrative Design: A Writer’s Guide to Video Games and Transmedia - Ross Berger (book)

Cutting Through the Static: The Immersive Greatness of Oxenfree’s Radio - Ishaan Sahdev, Black Shell Media (article)

OXENFREE | Part 3: Mechanics & Gameplay - Robert Kirkman’s Skybound (video essay)