Description:

‘What Draws Me’ In is a 2D platformer narrative game with a focus on the struggle of self-identity, in particular queer identity, about an artist who wakes up to find himself trapped within his own sketchbook. Befriending one of the characters he had drawn, the two journey together to find a way to escape as they confront and question their place in the world.
This game was created from the desire to add a little more colour into the biggest canvas that is our imagination. As a tabletop-roleplaying enthusiast with a keen interest in creating and playing characters, I wanted to create a little story about the way we use works of art - animations, films, games, and so on - to express who we are without the prejudice of the real world.
As someone under the LGBTQI umbrella, I also wanted to create and share a story inspired by my own experiences in the bumpy journey of learning to be comfortable with who I am, in the hopes of giving a simple message to those that need to hear it - be proud of who you are. Only you get to decide who you are, no one else.
What Draws Me In is a project with a focus on its narrative. That being said, because this is a solo project, it meant I was simultaneously the game designer, writer, artist, animator and programmer. Furthermore, with my background in digital art, I envisioned the visual aesthetic to be like a painting in your own sketchbook that has come to life, where the barrier between the Creator and the Created can be broken.