The Third Pill
project overview
The Third Pill is a narrative-driven VR exploration game that blends Neoclassical architecture with surreal, non-Euclidean geometry to create an "architectural fever dream."
The Third Pill is a narrative-driven VR exploration game that blends Neoclassical architecture with surreal, non-Euclidean geometry to create an "architectural fever dream."
project type
Game
year
2023
my role
3D Lead, Art director
client
Numena (internal project)
process
As a core member of the design team, I played a dual role in Art Direction and Level Design, shaping the game’s atmospheric world from concept to implementation. I managed the environmental pipeline, modeling complex architectural structures in Rhino and Blender before integrating and optimizing them in Unity. Beyond visual fidelity, I was deeply involved in game mechanics and prototyping, using iterative playtesting to refine how players navigate and interact with the game’s shifting, impossible spaces.
As a core member of the design team, I played a dual role in Art Direction and Level Design, shaping the game’s atmospheric world from concept to implementation. I managed the environmental pipeline, modeling complex architectural structures in Rhino and Blender before integrating and optimizing them in Unity. Beyond visual fidelity, I was deeply involved in game mechanics and prototyping, using iterative playtesting to refine how players navigate and interact with the game’s shifting, impossible spaces.
As a core member of the design team, I played a dual role in Art Direction and Level Design, shaping the game’s atmospheric world from concept to implementation. I managed the environmental pipeline, modeling complex architectural structures in Rhino and Blender before integrating and optimizing them in Unity. Beyond visual fidelity, I was deeply involved in game mechanics and prototyping, using iterative playtesting to refine how players navigate and interact with the game’s shifting, impossible spaces.
key contributions
Art Direction: Established a striking monochromatic visual style where lighting and normal maps define form, using high-contrast cues to guide player attention and reinforce narrative emotional beats.
Spatial Design & Worldbuilding: Designed modular, Neoclassical-inspired environments like "The Villa," experimenting with non-Euclidean geometry, variable time scales, and shifting player scale to create impossible architectural labyrinths.
Environment Pipeline: Executed the end-to-end environment workflow, utilizing Rhino for structural precision and Blender for prop detailing, while coordinating with technical artists on light baking and mesh optimization.
Game Design & Iteration: Contributed to early concept ideation and mechanics, leading prototyping rounds and incorporating external playtest feedback to improve navigation and puzzle clarity in VR.
Art Direction: Established a striking monochromatic visual style where lighting and normal maps define form, using high-contrast cues to guide player attention and reinforce narrative emotional beats.
Spatial Design & Worldbuilding: Designed modular, Neoclassical-inspired environments like "The Villa," experimenting with non-Euclidean geometry, variable time scales, and shifting player scale to create impossible architectural labyrinths.
Environment Pipeline: Executed the end-to-end environment workflow, utilizing Rhino for structural precision and Blender for prop detailing, while coordinating with technical artists on light baking and mesh optimization.
Game Design & Iteration: Contributed to early concept ideation and mechanics, leading prototyping rounds and incorporating external playtest feedback to improve navigation and puzzle clarity in VR.
Art Direction: Established a striking monochromatic visual style where lighting and normal maps define form, using high-contrast cues to guide player attention and reinforce narrative emotional beats.
Spatial Design & Worldbuilding: Designed modular, Neoclassical-inspired environments like "The Villa," experimenting with non-Euclidean geometry, variable time scales, and shifting player scale to create impossible architectural labyrinths.
Environment Pipeline: Executed the end-to-end environment workflow, utilizing Rhino for structural precision and Blender for prop detailing, while coordinating with technical artists on light baking and mesh optimization.
Game Design & Iteration: Contributed to early concept ideation and mechanics, leading prototyping rounds and incorporating external playtest feedback to improve navigation and puzzle clarity in VR.
