Ben Miller is a game designer and lead developer for Fabraz currently living in New York City. He is primarily interested in the interplay of mechanics and narrative, but also dabbles in more straightforward games with the design ethos of "dumb fun". Loves talking about games and game design, but bring up Dark Souls only at your own peril.

The Silhouetted Sovereign is a two-dimensional platformer set in a kingdom torn asunder by impossible forces. You take on the role of a wanderer, guided by the sentient crown of the kingdom. An inscrutable link to the ineffable forces at work, the crown treats you like an old friend and hails you as the land’s sovereign returned.

The land itself is fragmented by otherworldly rifts that you can navigate between through a dimensional flip mechanic. Experience worlds flipped upside down, time slowing to a halt or scale morphing in chaotic ways as you and the crown travel between dimensions.

You must make up your own mind about the state of this tragic world, aided by the crowns dubious guidance. Why did the kingdom fall? Who was the previous crown bearer? how did these worlds collide with one another? By journey’s end, aided by the crown’s dubious guidance, you will decide the kingdom’s fate. And your own.

The project for thesis is the introductory chapter of a larger game project by Fabraz, and is not a solo undertaking.

Ben Miller: Game Design, Narrative, Code
Fabian Rastorfer: Game Design, Narrative, Art

Why it’s special
Imagine a game that tells a story through a variety of sources, not all of which can always be trusted. A game where the truth of what has happened is lost in the cloud of mysticism and uncertain motives, demanding investigation and interpretation to unravel. The player may trust in the story they’re told, or may push past it and discover the truth behind the story.