A 2D mystery game that tells a collective story of school bullying across conflicting memories and lingering trauma.


As Jiang, a “therapist detective,” players return to her hometown to investigate a best friend’s disappearance from a decade ago. By entering the memories of three former classmates, she uncovers a history of bullying and survival in a 2004 Chinese high school.
Alibi moves between present-day investigation and memory embodiment: 
players collect clues through point-and-click puzzles and choice-based dialogue, then relive high school memories in side-scrolling exploration.


Guided by Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), the game loop explores how limited agency in changing perspectives can foster cognitive and affective empathy.

As my MFA thesis game, Alibi was premiered at the USC Games Expo 2025, where it was met with strong enthusiasm from judges and audience alike.

Info

• Duration: May 2024 – present
  
• Genre: Narrative Adventure, Puzzle, Side-scroller, Serious Game, Games for Empathy, Indie
• Platform: PC and Mac
• Engine: Unity
• Team Size: ~40
  
• Role: Director, Art Producer

See more: [Narrative Design in Alibi →] [Game Design in Alibi →] [Research & Theory →] [Directing Alibi →]