Establishing a target audience for my game is a tricky task - however, after thorough analysis and speaking to a broad selection of people who play games, I have identified what sort of users will be engaging with my game.

Additionally, by focusing on the essential experience and project goals, it gave a clearer understanding of what audience I will try to reach with my game.

Project Goals

Essential Experience

What Experience Do I want my player to have?

The experience must be a “rollercoaster of emotions”. I want the player to feel the intensity of the game, forcing them to make quick decisions in order to survive and get further through the level. However, during the progression of the game, I want the player to have short moments to “catch their breath” and reflect on what is happening around them. Seeing the devastation that the collapse of the reactor is having on the environment, should trigger emotional responses. However, due to the time pressure within the game, the players are not able to sit and process - thus making the game an intense showcase of real-life damages caused by Nuclear power station failures. The experience must be stimulating, immersive and an accurate simulation of what it would be like attempting to escape.

What is essential for this experience?

For this experience to work, it is essential that the pacing of the game is done consistently. Additionally, as the game is a simulation, having real sounds that are familiar will create depth and a more immersive feel. Making the mechanics fluid and responsive is important, as - having poor mechanics will lead to a less immersive experience. Players will want to quickly make movements and traverse through levels as they are pressured by the collapsing environment around them, therefore they want the game to feel responsive. Engaging as many senses as possible is key for most games, however it is vital for simulation games. Having appropriate visuals, with an art style that is comprehensible and consistent, is also important.

How can I capture that experience?

To capture that essence, I can use binaural audio, surround sound, haptics - vibrations on controllers, cutscenes with strong visuals and subtle hints within the environment to give a sense of direction. This is not a full comprehensive list, there are other smaller things I can do during development to strengthen the experience I am aiming for.

Target Audience Analysis and Studies