The Tides That Bind

Supervised by lab director TreaAndrea M. Russworm, the studio’s 2021-2022 game is called The Tides That Bind. Set in a fictional New England Town, the game is a 2D narrative adventure game about race, family, and belonging. The core team of undergraduate designers have been joined by an MFA student, professional programmers, professional musicians, and voice actors. The full playable game will be in playtesting in March and available to the UMass community in April 2022.

The Tides that Bind Game Trailer

What’s going on in the sleepy town of Malmer? Join sound Esme as she explores the town, meets a diverse cast of residents, and investigates some of her family’s deepest secrets

The Making of The Tides That Bind

Radical Play students and interns share their lessons learned from making their first full game.

Game Mechanisms Walkthrough

The actual making of The Tides That Bind, and titles that are similar to the game: (clockwise) The Smelly Mystery, Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds, and Night in the Woods