press kit

Portage is a game that follows a lone journeyer with their dog through the dense Canadian Boreal forest, but more importantly, focuses on the player and the experiences that they will have. The aim is to inspire a sense of mindfulness through sound, visuals and the relaxed pace of the journey. Mimicking the feelings of a real walk through nature, the player will be in a space that allows for natural discovery and reflection carried only by their sense of exploration. We have incorporated canoeing, and subsequently portaging, into the game to enhance the journey and provide a simple gameplay mechanic for the player to manage. There will be certain actions including fishing, cooking, and playing the harmonica that are there to add authenticity to the outdoor experience without the stresses of real life. Ideally we want the controls for these tasks to be engaging and possibly even mimic the real action, however we need to balance this with them being intuitive especially with minimal UI support. In terms of encounters, we want the player to react positively when they come across them which means that they shouldn’t be over abundant but, equally, the forest should still feel alive. One key feature of the game is that nothing should be required by the player, instead they should be able to have a unique experience by making choices on what they want to do and by encountering things through exploration. Players that chose to take their time and appreciate the environment will be rewarded by seeing things that players who chose to rush through might not. The importance of the journey is very much what happens along the way rather than the ending.