Chat Station was inspired by the keyword-typing NPC interactions in games like Everquest and Façade. I wanted to create an intelligent chat system that could respond to a large range of player input without depending on unreliable AI/LLM chat integrations.

The player can initiate dialogue with any NPC, and is able to type anything as a message to that character. The systems I wrote can parse the words entered by the player, checks them against a dictionary, and responds with a linked prompt phrases that is unique to that character. Combined with persistent character disposition and dialogue progression tracking systems, I was able to create a robust quest system to drive gameplay.

Over the course of developing the game, I decided to focus on design and programming, and source the assets for the character and environment meshes. While looking for assets I could use for NPCs, I found a pack of rigged character models featuring several animals with large cartoon eyes. Their blank default expressions were very creepy to me, and I decided to use them and lean into the unsettling aspects to create a psychological horror game. I was already interested in creating a world with benign hostility towards the player, and I landed on theming the game around “neurodivergent horror.” This design choice informed how I wrote the dialogue responses, as well as how I designed the environment and planned quest lines.

Additionally, I created an inventory system for storing and retrieving items from a “Quantum Suitcase” using 3d models to represent stored inventory slots. This intentionally added more friction to interacting with item storage as a way to heighten tension and simulate the experience of having to dig through your bag at the airport.