POPTROPICA: FORGOTTEN ISLES (3ds, ios)
Poptropica: Forgotten Islands is a game by Other Ocean Interactive and Ubisoft for iOS and 3DS.
Narrative Approach
I constructed the overall narrative approach for this title.
Our goal was to guide the player through a series of different environments. As a result, I centered the story on a scientist collecting several important collectables called artifacts, obtained by travelling to a series of islands.
- Each island contains a single artifact
- Each artifact has an image on it, representing an important moment in the game-world’s history
At the end of the game, the player needs to assemble these artifacts in a linear sequence in order to create a timeline of when these events unfolded. However, there is no correct answer.
- Using knowledge learned on each island, it is possible for players to take an educated guess.
- Ultimately, it’s up to player’s to interpret the backstory and timeline, creating their own unique conclusions of the past.
- The player can continue the game past this point, going back to previous islands and rearranging the artifacts as they see fit upon gaining new knowledge.
We bookend the title with this theme, foreshadowing this end-game sequence with a simple trial early on:
- A character calls upon the player’s help to find bones of an ancient dinosaur skeleton.
- The player then must play a sliding-tile mini-game where they assemble bones of an ancient dinosaur skeleton.
- No feedback is given to the player when they’ve assembled the skeleton correctly. Once they’ve put it together in the most logical way possible, they can simply choose to stop.
This unconventional theme of uncertainty and iteration teaches a younger audience about the scientific method while reinforcing the notion of keeping an open mind to new discoveries + information. Our unique resolution also made the title more memorable and unpredictable for an older audience, encouraging discussion about the correct interpretation.
Unorthodox Quest Design
The tools I had on the project enabled me to primarily build variations of fetch quests. However, I stretched those tools out as far as possible, contextualizing them within a unique narrative wrapper to create engaging and unexpected encounters.
- Scenario Example 1: The player arrives on an island with a treasure map and needs to follow a series of landmarks – in order, these landmarks are a garden of blue flowers, a great tree and a sprawling lake. After finding several landmarks that seem a bit off (i.e. a garden of turquoise flowers, a small tree and a dried up lake), the player realizes they’re on the wrong island. The island on the treasure map split up after a natural disaster, forcing the player to set back out on the open sea in hunt of the correct location.
- Scenario Example 2: The player reaches an island where a technically advanced tribe warns the player not to visit a house in the woods. In this house lives a crazed inventor who asks the player to gather parts for his machine. After gathering those parts however, the player discovers that he’s building a weapon! The player thwarts his plan, but then learns of his true motivation – he invented all the technology on the island and the villagers are holding him captive! The player must find items to distract the villagers so that the inventor can make his escape.
- Scenario Example 3: A reoccurring joke in the game is the player’s ability to pocket almost any object in the world and add it to their seemingly-endless inventory. At the game’s climax, after battling the antagonist, the player must escape an island before it sinks into the ocean. However, the antagonist no longer finds himself with the strength to flee the island after his recent defeat. The player is not strong enough to lift him, but there is one thing they can do – they place the antagonist in their inventory and escape in the nick of time!
Family Friendly Comedy
As this was a title for all ages, I needed to write short, snappy lines of dialogue that were humorous, but clean. Some examples:
- Villager: If I see a pirate, I’m going teach them a lesson. After all, I am a teacher.
- Monster: Our leader has a soft spot for your kind. That soft spot is his belly.
- Guard: I have eyes on the back of my head. Can’t see past all the hair though.
- Villager: If you need anything, just ask. Unless it’s dangerous. Then ask someone else.
- Warrior: Alright, you’ve earned my trust. Don’t spend it all in one place.
