Project period : 2026.02 - 04
Software used:
The Cambrian Period was marked by the Cambrian Explosion, a rapid and massive increase in marine life diversity that saw the appearance of most major animal groups. This era is synonymous with the flourishing of trilobites, which became the most iconic organisms of the time.
In my previous project, I found that an open-world game format often caused players to miss the core message. Therefore, for this project, I intentionally restricted the player's movement through controlled camera work and guided paths. This allows players to scan and absorb the text information as they move through the environment. Consequently, this has helped direct attention to the narrative more effectively.
Unreal Engine 5 was highly practical for implementing detailed environmental lighting and complex materials. I specially focused on mesh optimization; to capture the vastness of the ocean while maintaining a manageable project weight, I leveraged features such as Billboards, Nanite, LODs, and Procedural Content Generation. Additionally, I researched advanced techniques like material blending to achieve a seamless, natural look for the ocean floor, sand, and marine organisms.
The director of the school geological museum provided most of the scientific advice for the project. In my creative process, I focused on stylizing the environments and creatures while ensuring that this artistic interpretation did not compromise scientific accuracy.
The Museum of Extinction project began with a core question: In what ways do interactive gameplay elements, such as dynamic environmental transitions (changing maps and stages) and missions, help audiences understand the heavy themes of geological time and extinction more effectively than passive observation?
To explore this, I aimed to create an animated digital restoration of the Cambrian ocean, where the audience experiences the environment gradually transitioning into an Ice Age, leading to the inevitable extinction of the ecosystem.
Creators
Director / Designer
Yeoleum Choi
Developer
Lohith Katari
Jacob Heiserman
Supervisor
Steven Hubbard
Supported by
Orton Geological Museum
Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design
Department of Design
MUSEUM OF EXTINCTION : CAMBRIAN OCEAN
A game-based experience exploring the Cambrian ocean. Departing from traditional text-based learning, this work utilizes a painterly aesthetic and evocative music to create a deeply immersive environment.
GAME PLAY VIDEO
CAMBRIAN PERIOD
GAME PLAY EXPERIENCE
DESIGNNING EXPERIENCE
UNREAL ENGINE
SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY