Towards the start of the year, I was re-approached by Sandford Tech, which I previously did work for in the form of NEXO, the mobile strategy game. This time, I was part of the development team for a major update for Color Connect, an immersive VR, node-based puzzle game available on numerous digital storefronts. This update launched in late September to highly positive feedback.

This was definitely one of my biggest, most ambitious projects ever, due to the fact that I gained a lot of new experience in creating graphics that would work in a rich, virtual reality space. The general atmosphere of Color Connect is calm and relaxed. This is represented through beautiful 3D worlds that are inspired by peaceful Chinese zen gardens. Players navigate through the soothing environments by connecting differently coloured nodes to form larger shapes or patterns. Players stand in the centre of a platform and are rewarded more for completing each level in as few moves as possible.

I created user interface elements to help players navigate through the levels, which gradually increase in complexity and difficulty. However, my main contribution was in the form of the player platform designs, as seen on the left. These four distinct creature shapes (dragon, vermillion bird, tiger and tortoise/snake) tie into the four mythical Chinese animal representations of the yearly seasons. I had a lot of fun representing these symbols and making them unique and engaging to look at, each in their own way. The worlds made for this game are stunning and I feel very lucky to have helped build how they are presented to the player wearing the headset.

I have immensely enjoyed working on this project and feel particularly excited to have now worked in games for multiple consoles. I can't wait to see what the future brings in terms of game design!