Wafi Abd

Creative Technologist | Product Designer | AR/VR Prototyper
I'm a multidisciplinary designer with a large focus on user experience, interactivity and experimental storytelling. I prioritise strong narratives in my work and use different mediums to be able to communicate the essence of my narratives as effectively as possible.
I'm a multidisciplinary designer with a large focus on user experience, interactivity and experimental storytelling. I prioritise strong narratives in my work and use different mediums to be able to communicate the essence of my narratives as effectively as possible.
Thesis Faculty
Jesse Harding, Frances Hoepfner, John Sharp, Ethan Silverman

RAMLEE’S WORLD ADVENTURE

RAMLEE’S WORLD ADVENTURE

Ramlee’s World Adventure is a 2D platformer game reminiscent of its nostalgic predecessors such as Super Mario Bros, Sonic The Hegdehog and Megaman . The game is built around a fictional narrative I developed to appeal to third culture individuals who, like myself, grew up abroad during their formative years. These individuals have had to cope with the constant upheavals of adapting to foreign cultures and environments without guidance from parental figures. This game also lends credibility to the difficulty of having to raise one own’s self in the midst of unfamiliar languages, diametrically-opposing cultures and complex local traditions.

The game takes these difficulties and contextualises them into obstacles found throughout the game such as visa collection for access to the next level, memento gathering as a tool of identity formation and remapping of game controls to mimic the experience of adapting to new environments.

Ramlee’s Narrative

Our main character, Ramlee (a name I borrowed from Malaysian legend, P.Ramlee), navigates the cities of Cape Town, London and New York as he goes through life – figuring out who he is as a citizen of the world. Away from his ancestral home of Malaysia, Ramlee is forced to manoeuvre through the game using an ever-changing set of game controls, mimicking the experience of moving to new countries for economic betterment while adapting to an entirely foreign set of rules and regulations.

Level 1: Cape Town

On this level, you begin your journey in the beautiful city of Cape Town. In order to advance to the next level, you will have to collect the Zulu shield and a visa to be transported to the city of London. Controls on this level are the usual set of game controls used in any game out there to give a sense of familiarity to anyone who interacts with this game.

Level 2: London

Now that you have arrived in the city of London, you will have to navigate government officials that are designed to prevent you from leaving. Every interaction you have with these officials will result in you losing a life. But sometimes, you do get lucky in the midst of bureaucratic nonsense. Collect a life after you’ve collected the silver spoon and visa on this level and make your way to your next destination.

Level 3: New York

Here’s where things get interesting! On the final level of this game, you arrive in NYC. On this level you’ll find that you’ve been given access to interesting power-ups. By collecting your supplement, you’re given a suit that allows you to navigate the rogue robots that have been built by MFADT (MFA in Design & Technology) graduates from Parsons School of Design. An extra power up before the final boss will also give you the ability to destroy the final boss in this game!

In My Own Words

As a third culture person, I’ve found the experience to be very beneficial. Learning new languages is easier, adapting to new environments is simpler, and socializing with people from different cultures is just a matter of figuring out when and where to meet.

However, becoming multilingual and integrating into new cultures has also been challenging. It can lead to internal turmoil, needing to readjust linguistically, and questioning one’s identity in a world that often prioritizes certain cultural perspectives.

Creating this game has helped me express these complex experiences in a way that resonates with other third culture individuals and allows them to engage with the story.