Snapshot Safari
Unity Development · Game Concept Design · Level Design
Photo-Based Exploration Experience with Implicit Storytelling
Overview
Snapshot Safari is a photo-based exploration game centered on observation, discovery, and environmental perception.
Players wander through a quiet village and use an in-game camera to locate and photograph 18 hidden creatures scattered throughout the environment.
Rather than relying on explicit objectives or direct narrative, the experience unfolds through implicit storytelling, letting players build their own understanding of the world through visual discovery.
The project shifts gameplay focus away from action and toward perception-driven interaction, where seeing and noticing become the primary mechanics.
Core Gameplay
The gameplay loop is built around Explore → Notice → Capture → Reflect.
Players freely navigate the environment, observe subtle visual cues, discover hidden creatures, and photograph them using the camera system.
Each creature can only be recorded once, reinforcing attentive exploration instead of conventional objective chasing.
Gameplay System
The interaction system is intentionally minimal and readable so the player's attention stays on the world rather than on layered mechanics.
It functions as an observation-driven collection system where taking a photo registers a discovery, the score reflects captured creatures, and the experience completes after collecting all 18 creatures.
- WASD — Movement
- Mouse — Camera control
- C — Activate / deactivate camera
- T — Take photo
- P — View tips
World & Level Design
The village environment is designed for open-ended exploration without explicit guidance.
Creatures are distributed across different spatial layers, including foreground placement, distant silhouettes, and partially occluded hiding spots.
Visual composition subtly directs attention while avoiding intrusive markers, encouraging players to slow down, scan the scene, and discover the world through curiosity.
UI & Interaction Design
The interface is designed to resemble a compact camera, reinforcing photography as the core tool rather than treating it like a conventional HUD.
Menus, instruction screens, and capture feedback all echo the same device language, while keeping UI minimal enough to preserve immersion and calm observation.
My Role
This project was primarily developed by me, with a focus on both technical implementation and experience design.
- Unity Development — Implemented player movement, camera system, photo capture logic, and scoring in Unity (C#).
- Game Concept Design — Framed photography as the primary gameplay mechanic and built the experience around observation instead of explicit goals.
- Level Design — Designed the village layout, creature placement, and exploration pacing through spatial distribution.
- Visual & UI Design — Created part of the UI and visual assets, and defined a calm visual tone that supports discovery.
Design Statement
Snapshot Safari explores photography as an interaction system, shifting gameplay from action-based mechanics to a perception-driven experience where players understand the world through observation rather than direct instruction.