MATTY LANOUETTE
CONTENT DESIGNER
PERSONAL PROJECTS
Monsters in the Woods
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Role: Writer
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2021
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Unreal Engine 4
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Team Size: 9
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Source Control: Perforce
Monsters in the Woods is a horror/romance visual novel. The player takes on the role of a hiker who has lost their memory. The only thing they remember is their own brutal death, but the details are hazy. They befriend a trio of monsters that call the woods home and unite to get the player their memories back and maybe rid themselves of a cult that has recently muscled into the forest.
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The game was made in one week by a team of 9. It features three neutral endings, three good endings, three bad endings, and one lonely bad ending. Each monster has multiple expressions and poses, as well as a unique musical theme and background.
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Each monster was written by a different writer. I managed the route for Barnabe, the catfish swamp killer. All three of the monsters had their own horror genres represented in their route and character. Barnabe's horror genres were slasher and gore, which meant that his mannerisms and endings all had to keep the player coming back to the feeling of being with a monster, one who could easily turn on the player if he chose to. One of the challenges in writing for this was to represent the horror genres while still making a likable character that the player would want to romance. This was done by keeping Barnabe's overall tone chill and calm, and then pushing his violent tendencies when danger presented itself or when the player pushed him too far.
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Below are screenshots and concept art for the game as well as our trailer. If you would like to play, please follow the download link on the left.
ACADEMIC TEAM PROJECTS
Takowana County
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Role: Narrative Designer & Producer
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May 2017 - April 2018
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Unreal Engine 4
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Team Size: 13
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Source Control: Perforce
Takowana County is a 3D horror mystery game where the player takes on the role of a journalist who is trapped on a remote island off the coast of Virginia with a strange creature pursuing them.
The story follows Darrin Saller, who was sent to this small recreational camping island to do a fluff piece about the island's infamous Autumn Fireflies for their newspaper. They're supposed to meet the only other inhabitant of the island, Ranger Seth Gresham. Ranger Gresham is charged with the island's upkeep during the off-season and has a deep interest in the island's history. Not long after Darrin arrives though, strange things start happening, and the Ranger is no help, brushing Darrin's concerns of danger off as the usual city-slicker fear of the woods. But Darrin can tell when a coverup is going on, and they realize they're going to have to use every trick up their sleeve to figure out just what is really happening on the Takowana Wildlife Preservation.
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I worked with the creative director who held the original vision for the game to craft a narrative that pulled the player through the island and introduced them to the mysterious past of the island and Ranger Gresham. This work included taking many scripts from rough draft to final recorded pieces for the game, working with the lead gameplay designer on figuring out where all the pieces the player needs to find to solve the conspiracy board should be based on their narrative ties, and providing feedback to our art team on the set pieces and environments to make sure the overall world felt cohesive and genuine.
ACADEMIC SOLO PROJECTS
Charge
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December 2017 - April 2018
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Unity 3D Visual Novel
You are Jaxon, a service-class android trying to keep up your pharmacy in the apocalypse. Many years have passed since the world burned and your owner left to try and find a better life, but you are still here, still caring for the people who call the remnants of this town their home. Not everyone in town is friendly towards androids, and sometimes the occasional wanderer is a welcome sight to break the monotony of life. But when bandits threaten the only life you've ever known, where will your loyalty lie?
This visual novel includes a branching narrative that reacts to the player's choices while interacting with the people in town as well as two different endings.
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My focus while working on this visual novel was on exploring a contained branching narrative. I wanted the choices to matter to the player and to have an impact on the dialog so that if someone were to replay it, their new choices would read differently. I had to be mindful of how to bring these branches back to the final two endings though, so it was also an excellent exercise in scope creep.
ACADEMIC SCRIPTS
Takowana County
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May 2017 - April 2018
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Game Script
Each script was written in screenplay format then used to record for the dialog.
Includes the scripts for each scene, the player reactions to finding quest items, and the script for the trailer dialog for a total of 9 scripts.
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There are 2 voiced parts: the player character, Darrin, and the antagonist, Ranger Gresham.
Just One More Day
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December 2016
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Short Screenplay
Written for a scriptwriting class in college.
Prompt: Full story mainly pushed forward by dialog. New scenes can have a brief description, but dialog should be the driving force.
College boyfriends Ren and Tyson have been surviving the apocalypse together with Ren's sister Hana as they slowly make their way to Washington from their college in New York. The hope that Ren and Hana's parents are still alive keep them moving but when Hana doesn't come back from a supply sun, hard choices might have to be made.
Worked to Death
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October 2016
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Short Screenplay
Written for a scriptwriting class in college.
Prompt: Short story showing emotional growth between two characters with no dialog.
Odessa might go to a school specializing in the practical application of everyday magic, but her studies have been anything but magical. Failing out of her prestigious school is becoming a real threat, so she decides that spending as much time as possible in the library studying might save her.
Studying has never been her strong suit though, but when she accidentally frees a shy ghost who was trapped between the pages of an old book, she might get both the study partner that she needs as well as a fighting chance to stay at the school of her dreams.