Game for Game Jam
Dilemma is a trip through the mazes of the unconscious mind. Moved by the will to escape, the protagonist seeks batteries and solves puzzles to open the exit door. Based on procedurally generated levels, Dilemma is a puzzle game with narrative elements, developed in 48 hours for the Global Game Jam 2021 (Theme: Lost & Found).
This was my first-ever Game Jam, and also my first time working with a procedural level system. Despite the intense time pressure and the challenges of remote collaboration, I was responsible for:
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Game Design
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Narrative Design
I worked side by side with another game designer, programmers, and artists. It was a valuable and intense experience where I had to make quick decisions, communicate efficiently, and keep the design vision clear while adapting constantly.
One of the biggest initial challenges was keeping the project organized, especially as ideas started to evolve rapidly during development. To overcome that, we used Miro to visually map out the structure of the game, including puzzle logic, narrative beats, and how the procedural system would affect player flow.
We focused on modular design, creating puzzle pieces that could be combined randomly, but still offered clarity and progression. Balancing randomness and coherence was one of the most satisfying challenges of this jam.
Inspired by the Lost & Found theme, we designed the narrative as a metaphor for searching one’s own mind. The maze represents the unconscious, while the batteries symbolize fragments of memory or will. The player isn't just solving puzzles they’re symbolically reconstructing a path to clarity and self-awareness.
Dilemma was a turning point in my journey as a game designer. It showed me how to take ownership of design decisions, collaborate under pressure, and apply narrative thinking even in abstract systems like procedural generation. It was the first of many jams, and an experience that made me fall in love with designing under constraints.
