The storytelling of Caved

'Caved' presents the South-African fairytale 'Demane & Demazana as a dark tragedy in which the events are focused on the trauma behind the fairy tale. By paying attention to the visual and auditive storytelling, the player can learn there's more to this tale than its fantastical facade.

This adventure game was created in collaboration with 3 game artists, 1 game developer, 1 music composer, and 1 sound designer. As the narrative designer, Malebo Em Botden rewrote the fairytale and brought the narrative of the adaptation to life, using visual storytelling, camera composition, and lighting,

Artist statement

Malebo Em Botden is an aspiring artist who has embarked on a creative journey that seamlessly intertwines multiple disciplines. Prior to pursuing studies in HKU Game Design, Malebo honed her skills as a special effects makeup artist and body painter, mastering the art of transforming the human form into fantastical creatures, characters, and paintings.

Driven by a passion for storytelling and creating art on unique canvases, Malebo approaches her craft with attention to detail, recognizing the power of subtle nuances in creating immersive narratives. She tells stories about experiences, insecurities, and struggles we all know in a surrealistic setting, allowing us to feel heard and seen. Involving camera composition, motion graphics, lighting, and audio allows Malebo to orchestrate a symphony of elements, harmoniously bringing her tales to life.

Ambities

It's my goal to start my own game studio or become part of a small independent studio within the next five years.
I aspire to tell tales, drawing inspiration from both real and fictive cultures. By collaborating with musicians and artists in both digital and analogue art I hope to develop projects that will transcend past only games into our real world as storybooks or short films to add more cultural, neurodivergent, and gender diversity to entertainment platforms everyone can reach!