What is Draemveil?

This thesis investigates how worldbuildingand psychological storytelling can draw players into a world and story instead of just playing a game. The project centers on Draemveil, a narratively directed psychological adventure set in a post-apocalyptic fairy-tale realm reshaped by a godlike figure’s perception. In this world, individuals are forcibly assigned roles based on how they are interpreted by the land’s unseen ruler, narrowing their identities into archetypes that do not reflect the full truth of who they are. Using iterative design methods like worldbuilding, visual development, playtesting, and experimental storytelling, the project creates an immersive fictional world that merges illustration, concept art, and narrative design.

The goal is to produce world fragments, concept art, and a narrative prototype that invite players (15-25) and game developers to engage deeply with a rich, environmental storytelling game through a compelling aesthetic and interactive experience. Ultimately, the thesis seeks to demonstrate a game and how it would play alongside its story without having a full game ready for people to actually play.