Dead Canary is an experimental narrative game made in Unreal Engine. The setting is inspired by real world stage plays and set design, but the game makes use of the advantages of its medium.

Set Design

The centerpiece is a rotating stage where the majority of the demo’s story takes place. It is divided into 3 areas, the cell, the canteen and the yard.

When moving between the cell and the canteen, the stage rotates between two set points and the camera zooms in / out respectively.

When moving up the stairs the camera moves with the player and the stage softly rotates until it reaches the intended camera angle for the story section.

As mentioned the design process took heavy inspiration from practical stage design, originally seeking to emulate the limitations of the medium.