Writer · Narrative Design · Voice Recording Direction
Writer · Narrative Design · Voice Recording Direction
How perspective shapes identity
In a world where size defines power, two unlikely heroes have their bodies swapped and must descend into a magical dungeon. There, they must rescue their mushroom god, solve puzzles, and confront the uncomfortable truth about their people.
Featuring psychedelic environments, sarcastic banter, and a wolf spirit with a score to settle, Maximinimus is a buddy adventure like no other.
Throw your friend. Question your god. Save your soul, or doom the planet trying!
Writing Reflections
1. Here’s what I was trying to do
The goal is to explore how physical and philosophical perspectives shape identity, culture, and relationships within the boundaries of a bizarre, mystical dungeon journey where size is both a blessing and a curse.
I wanted players to laugh, reflect, and question while solving puzzles and throwing their friends across the room.
2. Here’s why
MAXIMINIMUS was created for a game jam with the theme “A Matter of Perspective.”
Size don’t determine power, and humor solves even the most philosophical dilemmas.
This story isn’t just about body-swapping or tribal politics; it’s about acceptance, trust, and emotional growth.
3. Here’s what I was interested in achieving
- Create a buddy story that is both genuinely funny and emotionally relatable.
- Use environmental storytelling and in-world magical texts to enrich the lore.
- Introduce moral ambiguity. Who is right? What is God? Is this mission even worth it?
4. These are choices I made
Writing:
- I wrote a full screenplay filled with humor, emotional beats, and character arcs. Big Guy and Little Guy are polar opposites, which energizes their dynamic.
- I built three narrative acts that follow a classical structure but are flavored with Game Jam madness.
Narrative Design:
- I used magic texts, environmental cues, and sound design to tell the story without cutscenes.
- The dungeon environment was used as metaphors for the conversation, with each level reflecting a psychological or societal layer (denial, conflict, understanding, and regret).
- I directed and edited the intro cinematic to ensure that it matched the tone of the script narratively.
- Voice direction, including tonal shifts, delivery of sarcasm, and emotional resonance. Oh, and you can hear me acting as little guy.
Story Structure & Writing
ACT 1 – STRENGTH & BRAINS
THE HOOK + INCITING EVENT
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A sacred Mother Mushroom (GOD) is stolen.
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Tribes are body-swapped. This means chaos.
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Players control two characters with reversed bodies, navigating a magical dungeon.
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Puzzle mechanics reflect their new limitations and strengths.
NARRATIVE TOOLS
Dialogues · Magic Texts · Ancient Paintings · Emotional Sound Cues
ACT 2 – MOTHER’S PRISONER
MIDPOINT & REVERSAL
- Introduction of Arcana, the Wolf, a spirit from another dimension seeking vengeance.
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The dungeon reveals layers of truth: was GOD ever ours?
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The environment becomes increasingly hostile, filled with psychedelic mushrooms and cryptic spells.
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Player slowly realizes the dungeon is alive.
NARRATIVE TOOLS
Spell Texts · Wolf Summoning Sequences · Infected Landscapes · Paranoia through Dialogue
ACT 3 – THE TRUTH HURTS & SOOTHS
CLIMAX + FINAL CHOICE
- Players learn the tribes stole GOD first.
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Confrontation with truth leads to existential dialogue between the characters.
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Emotional climax, where the player must choose
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Save your mushroom GOD
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Save your friend
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Sacrifice yourself
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Endings are voiced by a narrator, mirroring the cinematic tone of the intro.
Lore Writing
Where & How it all begins
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GOD = a Mother Mushroom with psilocybin powers, linked to spiritual and ecological cycles.
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Tribes were symbiotic cultures, one forging armor, the other craft horns. That was until their GOD was stolen.
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Wolf Arcana = spirit from a drained dimension, representing vengeance, memory, and rebirth.
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The dungeon’s magic texts and carvings reveal a story of extinction, survival, and ecological collapse.
Voice Tone & Direction
It's all about personality
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I directed the voice performance to lean heavily into character contrast:
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Big Guy = charismatic, clever, emotional
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Little Guy = sarcastic, brooding, ultimately sincere
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Used whispers, echoes, and emotional inflection to emphasize key emotional beats.
Two tribes. One stolen god. And a friendship forged in fungus.
MAXIMINIMUS a Tale of Sizes.
Cinematic & Storyboard
Where & How it all begins
Co-created the intro storyboard:
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I crafted the storyboard with 7 key scenes for the artist to draw.
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Edited the cinematic video.
- Narrated the intro cinematic video.
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Builds to a dramatic tone, introducing both gameplay and emotional stakes
Screenshots & Visual Artifacts
Personal Reflection
MAXIMINIMUS taught me that perspective isn’t just a theme, it’s a transformation. Writing about two mismatched characters who are forced to trust each other helped me explore identity, ego, and empathy through humor, puzzles. What started as a game jam became a playground for deeper storytelling. At some point, I stopped merely writing dialogue and started writing meaning.
“Perspective isn’t just a mechanic. It’s the whole damn point.”
– Belisario Fosca, Writer & Narrative Designer