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Meowbot

Mouse Playhouse is a virtual reality (VR) game in which players manipulate objects in a common, everyday environment, creating a path through which they guide mice and avoid hazards.

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PROJECT LENGTH: 6 months
TEAM SIZE: 18 developers ( 5 artists)
WEEKLY WORK HOURS: 21 hours
ENGINE: Unreal Engine 4
PLATFORM: HTC Vive

ABOUT

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Designed Meowbot enemy character from concept to full 3D piece with materials

  • 3D modeled and textured environmental props and gameplay objects

  • Conceptualized characters, environments, and gameplay elements

  • Assisted with narrative and environmental storytelling

  • Designed and created marketing materials, including promotional poster and box art
     

MEOWBOT

  • One of the main obstacles in Mouse Playhouse

  • Only moving obstacle in the game.

  • Designing a robot that would fit the game's childlike, friendly, easygoing demeanor, make sense in the playroom environment, and yet still illicit a sense of danger for the player to show that they are something to be avoided.

  • I had full creative authority over the design of the character

  • Parameters:

    • Robotic for a simpler skin and rig

    • Resemble a cat to be a clear enemy for the mice

  • Robotic toy would best suit the game, which highlighted its round features and distinctive symbols, stickers, and lights. 

ABOUT

  • One of the main obstacles in Mouse Playhouse

  • Only moving obstacle in the game.

  • Designing a robot that would fit the game's childlike, friendly, easygoing demeanor, make sense in the playroom environment, and yet still illicit a sense of danger for the player to show that they are something to be avoided.

  • I had full creative authority over the design of the character

  • Parameters:

    • Robotic for a simpler skin and rig

    • Resemble a cat to be a clear enemy for the mice

  • Robotic toy would best suit the game, which highlighted its round features and distinctive symbols, stickers, and lights. 

concept

early concepts

  • Round, simple, easily identifiable

  • Kid friendly design

    • Flat, distinctive colors​

    • No compicated patterns or designs

    • "Interactive" light up visor and tail

  • Visor and tail allow player to know the state of the Meowbot from all angles

  • Simple design and wheeled legs allowed for simpler rigging and skinning process for the animator

  • Rigged and animated by Taylor Gallagher

3d in game

During the very early concepts for Mouse Playhouse, the game underwent a period where we considered having the player control a mouse that had a robotic companion​ in order to navigate out of a lab. Here you can see some of the concepts for the robot, mice designs, as well as ideas for game play elements.

Companion Concept

Companion Concept

Companion Battery Concept

Companion Battery Concept

Companion Mouse Size Comparison

Companion Mouse Size Comparison

Mouse Launcher Concept

Mouse Launcher Concept

Mouse Concept

Mouse Concept

Mouse Cartoony Concept

Mouse Cartoony Concept

Mouse Marble Lob Concept

Mouse Marble Lob Concept

Mouse Cheese Lob Concept

Mouse Cheese Lob Concept

Gameplay Objects Concept

Gameplay Objects Concept

early concept art

ABOUT

The props in Mouse Playhouse were essentially based around a few concepts. If they were to be on the play space ( the table), they had to fit inside of a grid and have flat top surfaces with the potential for the mice to stand and walk on top of them. Of course, they also had to make sense in the kids' playroom space.  This restricted our possible objects to mostly box shaped items, so we had to be creative with the team and level designers during brainstorming.

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Here you can see the alphabet blocks which were made early on among the table objects, which became a visual standard for all table props which were made thereafter. These are perhaps the most utilized objects while playing, as the player must use them to guide the mouse. My goal was to make them simple and memorable, while still being interesting from all sides, which was achieved by the symbols for each letter.

prop & environment

ABOUT

Mouse Playhouse Table Objects

Mouse Playhouse Table Objects

No material

Mouse Playhouse Table Objects

Mouse Playhouse Table Objects

Diffuse + Normals

Mouse Playhouse Trophies

Mouse Playhouse Trophies

No material

Mouse Playhouse Trophies

Mouse Playhouse Trophies

Diffuse + Normals

Mouse Playhouse Furniture

Mouse Playhouse Furniture

No material

Mouse Playhouse Furniture

Mouse Playhouse Furniture

Diffuse + Normals

Bean Bags Hi-Res

Bean Bags Hi-Res

Sculpts of the bean bags done in Mudbox

Meowbot Concept
Early Concept Art
Prop & Environment

I was tasked with creating some of the promotional artwork for the game, as well as illustrate some story elements for the game's very light narrative. Though I played a part in helping design the narrative for the game, it was ultimately cut as we did not have enough time to implement all parts of the narrative for it to make sense, though the portraits still remain in the game. Because our game is playful and kid friendly, we wanted to exhibit a similar style to Disney's Pixar which I used as inspiration for the style of characters.

illustrative work

ABOUT

Mouse Playhouse Poster

Mouse Playhouse Poster

Mouse Playhouse Banner

Mouse Playhouse Banner

Kids Mice Portrait

Kids Mice Portrait

Family Portrait

Family Portrait

Illustrative Work
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