From discussions with my tutor, it became apparent that Yareeni's identity does not seem to be clear and distinct enough to be easily understood. Because of this, I decided to scrutinise my design document against academic literature. This week has been devoted to understanding the game at its most fundamental level, applying substance to the themes and adding value to the gameplay. I also started some rough concept art to better illustrate the game. I tried to research into the '10 Player Motive' which Video Game Narrative Specialist, Chris Bateman has adopted as his standard approach, although the academic sources are still waiting to be published. Because of this, I used the information available, as well as building from my existing knowledge.
I now have a good understanding of the game's story - which will focus on the bond between the player and the main character (Yareeni). I have not planned to create any cutscenes so the narrative will likely not feature in my finished piece, however, it will serve as a basis to adapt and develop the game further after the module ends. In Yareeni's world, everyone has a special ability. Some abilities are ordinary, some useful, and some manifest as potent super powers. Yareeni hasn't yet found their power. That is, until they meet the player. It is only then that Yareeni realises their special ability is to act as a bridge between the player's world and the world of Yareeni. Yareeni will then look to the player for guidance and the player will be able to posses Yareeni freely. Yareeni can also channel their ability to other characters, allowing the player to posses new characters with different powers, that can be used to interact differently with the world. The game is explained in more detail in the design document which I have attatched below.