What is Drag by AquariuZ
2023
Drag by AquariuZ is a multiplayer mobile fashion design competition driven by the art and limitless potential of drag.
Players enter one of five unique drag houses inspired by five fashion genres: Pageant, Camp, Goth, Party Animal, or 3000. Each house is run by unique and inspiring characters. Players compete in runway shows that showcase the unique designs they create through mix-and-matching garment pieces, fabrics, decals, hair, make-up, and by creating a unique runway walk.
Players can participate as the audience and watch live shows featuring other players where they can engage with the event and vote for their favourite designs using a series of emojis. In addition, players can relax in the design corner and create looks without the pressure of contests, or compete for the top score in a lip sync rhythm game.
My role as a Project Lead and Game Designer
I led a small team during my final year of school to conceptualize and create a proof of concept with the goal of securing funding. After graduating, we received a small amount of funding from the Canada Media Fund. With it, our team expanded and finalized the game design for prototyping.
I began the project by pitching the idea to the fashion design department at George Brown, leading to a collaboration between game development students and fashion designers. We researched and incorporated several fashion styles, creating 5 unique houses for players to express themselves in. The original game idea was iterated upon to create a game with an actual fashion design focus.
Once we finalized the game's core concept, we brought in concept artists and paired each artist with a fashion designer to collaborate and take ownership of one of the houses. This created an incredible learning opportunity for both sides that blended into an efficient conceptual pipeline.
Taking what we learned, we created a fashion show mock-up to express the vibe we were going for. As a team, we analyzed issues facing both the fashion industry and fashion-themed games, creating an innovative solution unseen in mobile fashion games.
I designed the core themes and mechanics and ensured we were creating a game that would inspire and make a difference. I wanted to express inclusivity and diversity in a way that would invite anyone into the game. I designed a character customization system to allow the player to customize their body type and included adaptive equipment. I added male-leaning fashion and drag kings, and included cis characters with a traditional preference. Everything was designed to ensure the game was also appropriate for children.
The proof was multiplayer and was internally tested by the team using our mobile devices.
Once we received funding, we strengthened and finalized the game’s design. I led a small design team and iterated on what we had created during school. We added several new features and fully mapped out the game.
I was incredibly fortunate to work with this team and during our time on this project, I learned a lot about game development and myself. I gained confidence in my methods and was able to lead a team successfully and design one of the most innovative fashion games out there.
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