A three-dimensional
space odyssey
Learning by playing
Gemstones, a 3D game, is an original idea by Elespacio. We wanted to immerse ourselves in a project without the limitations sometimes met working on client projects. Our goal was to learn new techniques and push ourselves creatively.s
Visit the websiteSci-fi 3D puzzles.
How could it go wrong?
The idea was to create an entirely different kind of puzzle game. This, plus the fact that we’d wanted to work with Three.js and 3D for a while, resulted in the basic game mechanic. We went ahead and built a prototype and then ran various internal tests. We had to prove that the concept worked and confirm that the game had potential..
Every good game
needs a story
Our 3D game needed an engaging narrative, so we had to come up with a compelling backstory. Having the game set in space was originally a way to simplify the environment, this eventually led to the idea of a ‘space quest’ to find magic gemstones and save civilisation!
Behind the scenes
Technically speaking we learned lots about Three.js library, coding shaders, and were challenged by the need of combining seamlessly 2D and 3D worlds.
From a creative perspective it was a good opportunity to see how different users understand and react to game mechanics.
A good dose of craft to
join all the pieces
Once we had built and tested the main mechanic of the game we had to make it the most captivating experience possible. We created an introduction that would set the mood and contextualise the users. We adopted a minimal and stylised design approach, with vibrant colours to give it a modern edge, paying special attention to the interface animation to ensure a sleek user experience. Our friend Cepuntobandish created a soundtrack to enhance the cinematic effect. It proved to be a great experience to jump deep into the unknown.
Awards & recognition
Gemstones has received an Awwwards and a FWA Site of the Day, and will shortly be featured in a luxury website design and in articles in Net Magazine, FWA.com and Designrush.
