THE PENITENT
Original narrative design concept
GAME PITCH
Game Genre: action-adventure, survival horror, single player
After Jo left Havenworth, an island home to the “world’s most revolutionary prison,” where guard and inmate live in the same community, she swore to never look back. But when the island goes dark and Jo receives an urgent message that the childhood best friend she abandoned is in danger, she must return home and confront the island’s hidden horrors and everything she left behind.
OPENING CINEMATIC
"Happy Independence Day, Ag."
Before the gameplay begins, a flashback cinematic establishes the world and characters of The Penitent. On Havenworth Island, teenagers Jo and Aggie roast marshmallows on the beach, dreaming of escape, while their fathers search for them in the dark.
CHARACTERS
QUEST DESIGN
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The full quest document includes cutscene dialogues, branching dialogue, asset requests, and combat barks for the Jo vs. Phil encounter.
DIEGETIC TEXT - AGGIE'S LETTERS
Before the island went dark, Aggie wrote a series of letters to her girlfriend Sera on the mainland. These environmental texts shed light on what happened on Havenworth and to Jo and Aggie's friendship.
"I don’t know what to do. Dad’s getting worse. He says he’s taking his meds, but … maybe they need to up his dosage?"
-- Aggie, Letter 6