The Sorting Room was created as an artefact for my MSc, “How does the design of epistolary architecture in non-linear games facilitate interpretive play?”. It was made using Unreal Engine 4, utilising the Blueprints feature.
The Sorting Room was designed as inspired by research on how epistolary architecture has been used in games, referencing epistolary origins in literature as additional context. Establishing how epistolary and non-linear narratives can invoke curiosity in players, these methods lend themselves well to interpretive play. Players search for missing extracts of letters, unknowing of the letter or sender, and are left to decide the meaning for themselves.
In the original design, it was intended for players to find and then sort the letter extracts, deciding for themselves which extracts should come together to form a letter. This sorting mechanic was scrapped due to external circumstances resulting in time constraints, but is under development in another iteration of this game as a personal project.
This project challenged my project management skills as well as my understanding of Unreal Blueprints, and gave me a new perspective on planning for more complex projects in future.
Bethany White 