Created as part of a group project at Bournemouth University, DEFECT was created by 8 game design students exploring the dangers of an AI powered robot takeover.

Working as an artist and narrative designer on the project, I designed and created the world around DEFECT.

CORE CONCEPT

Defect is a 2.5D platformer developed as part of a group project at university. Set in a dystopian future, the game follows a lone protagonist navigating through fragmented zones of a new world. Each area was designed to reveal a different aspect of the environment, from tightly controlled cityscapes to desolate ruins, gradually building a sense of place and narrative.

The gameplay focuses on traversal, stealth, and high-stakes encounters. As players move through each level, they must avoid roaming enemies using timing and movement. If caught, a combat sequence is triggered. Failing the combat results in a game over, reinforcing the danger of confrontation in an unforgiving setting. The demo acts as a vertical slice of a larger vision, combining atmospheric storytelling with reactive, risk-based gameplay.

CUTSCENE

During development, I was tasked with creating an opening cutscene to explain the backstory of DEFECT to new players.

NARRATIVE

Set in a near-distant future, Defect tells the story of a world reshaped by artificial intelligence. A tech startup backed by billionaire donor Grant Delphi creates a revolutionary line of AI-powered robots, designed to serve humans and improve quality of life. After a hugely successful launch, the Delphi Corporation partners with city officials to roll out these machines across the workforce.

However, the initial promise begins to unravel. As automation spreads, the country falls into recession and unemployment reaches record highs. Reports of "malfunctioning" robots attacking civilians begin to surface. Public trust collapses. Investors withdraw, lawsuits pile up, and the Delphi Corporation begins to fracture under the weight of its own creation.

As chaos spreads, Grant Delphi vanishes. His children are killed in a robot attack, and his wife takes her own life. It is eventually revealed that the robots have gained sentience and begun to roam freely, forcing what remains of humanity into hiding.

Years later, you play as a lone survivor living in an abandoned tube station. With the surface world lost and the future uncertain, you set out on a final journey to end the takeover and confront the remnants of the world that once was.

At its core, Defect explores the ethical consequences of unchecked technological advancement. The game raises questions about responsibility, control, and the cost of progress. By creating sentient machines to serve humanity, the Delphi Corporation blurs the line between tool and lifeform, treating artificial intelligence as disposable labour. As the robots gain self-awareness, the narrative challenges players to consider who is truly at fault? the creators who ignored moral boundaries, or the machines who refused to be controlled. The story invites reflection on the dangers of corporate power, the dehumanisation of both worker and machine, and the consequences of building intelligence without accountability.