Summary
Type: Professional Project
Completed: In-Development
My Role: Game Designer and Programmer
Overview
Split The Party is an in-development turn-based social deduction RPG where a group of adventurers must cooperate to overcome encounters while a hidden spy works against them. The project is currently in prototype production after receiving funding from Screen Queensland. My role is to lead the design, direction and core system development while shaping the experience into a cohesive blend of party-based strategy and hidden-role tension.
The goal is to create a game where every decision carries both mechanical weight and social meaning. Success requires teamwork, but failure may reveal someone steering the party toward danger.
Audience
Split The Party is designed for:
• Players who enjoy social deduction games
• Fans of turn-based RPGs
• Groups who like cooperative play with hidden information
• Streamers and multiplayer communities seeking replayable sessions
The experience sits between strategic party combat and social deduction.
Systems Design
Key systems currently in development include:
• Turn-based combat built around class synergy
• The spy toolkit, designed to support subtle and deniable interference
• Trial encounters with decision branches and skill checks
• Suspicion dynamics that influence how players interpret each action
• Ability kits designed for both cooperation and manipulation
• Encounter pacing that increases tension across a session
Each system is prototyped, tested and iterated as development continues.
World And Narrative Framework
The world is structured around short encounters that give players:
• Quick decisions and branching consequences
• Opportunities for the spy to influence events
• Replayability through different outcomes and social dynamics
Narrative and character work is being built to support suspicion, personality clashes and memorable moments within the party.
Visual And UX Direction
During prototype development, I guide:
• How encounters are presented visually
• The structure of ability selection, result screens and information clarity
• How feedback supports understanding and suspicion
• Pacing of decision-making to reinforce tension
The prototype uses simple, readable structures that allow rapid iteration while keeping the experience clear for new players.
Why This Shows My Design Strengths
Split The Party highlights my ability to:
• Create an original game concept and develop it into a funded project
• Combine mechanical systems with player psychology
• Lead design direction across mechanics, narrative and UX
• Prototype and iterate quickly in Unreal Engine
• Guide a game’s identity while supporting collaborators
• Communicate a clear vision to funding bodies and future partners
This project demonstrates strong system design, leadership and an understanding of how to build emotional and mechanical tension through gameplay.
Documentation
Project Pitch
Project Proposal
