Unflawed

This research-creation project led by Lilian Bouchonneau, a student member of the CREAT Research Chair, innovatively explores the potential of the concept of liminality in the design of user interfaces for 2D narrative games.

Focusing on diegetic interfaces—those elements that connect players’ real-world experience to the game’s fictional universe—the project examines in-between spaces where gameplay, narrative, aesthetics, and readability intersect. Through the development of “Unflawed”, a black-and-white puzzle-platformer created in Godot, the research highlights how interfaces, visual storytelling, and even the designer’s creative process are shaped by liminal spaces that elude traditional models.

This study opens new avenues for understanding and designing video game interfaces that are more coherent, nuanced, and deeply integrated into the game’s diegesis, while encouraging designers to move beyond established frameworks in order to imagine truly renewed gaming experiences.