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Stone & Vale - SEDA Project

Project Overview

Stone and Vale is a resource management strategy game designed to educate players on the environmental consequences of land use. Set in the fictional town of Bearnock, in the northeast of Scotland, the game incorporates elements of Pictish art and Scottish mythology.

  • Players are tasked with restoring society through sustainable land use in a world where ecological stability has collapsed.
  • The game teaches players the importance of balancing short-term agricultural yield with long-term ecological sustainability.
  • The game was designed for conferences, schools, and events, to promote environmental awareness.

Role and Responsibilities

  • As the producer, I regularly liaised with the client, the Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA), through email and weekly meetings to ensure the project stayed aligned with their vision.
  • Managed the project using Jira, where each department (design, programming, and art) had their own board for task tracking.
  • Held weekly sprint reviews with Sumo Digital, who acted as the executive producers, to present progress and adjust the roadmap based on feedback.
  • Conducted daily stand-up meetings either in person or online as appropriate to track progress, address blockers, and keep the team aligned.
  • Used Slack as the primary communication tool within the studio and for project members to ensure clear and efficient communication.
  • Created a Confluence wiki for easy access to the game design document and project details, ensuring efficient communication and reducing unnecessary meetings.

Challenges and Solutions

  • Compressed 12-week timeline required us to break down clear interim goals and keep a tight focus on weekly sprints to maintain progress.
  • The free Atlassian trial for Jira and Confluence was limited to 10 seats, while our team consisted of 14 members. I negotiated an extension of the Pro subscription with Atlassian to keep the entire team on the same platform.
  • Maintaining morale was essential. I organized team-building events, such as garden parties and barbecues, to foster team bonding and celebrate milestones.
  • Communication issues occasionally arose between departments. I acted as a mediator to resolve misunderstandings and manage conflicting priorities.

Key Achievements

  • We met all project milestones on time within the 12-week timeline, including delivering the beta and final builds on schedule.
  • The final build was completed with an additional week for polishing, which allowed us to add extra details and finishing touches.
  • I made an executive decision to use pre-existing music rather than commissioning custom tracks due to time constraints, which fit the game’s theme perfectly and pleased the client.
  • The game was featured in an article on the Scottish Games Network, which increased its visibility and recognition.
  • Developed a trailer to enhance the presentation of the game for the client.

Additional Information