SIDEQUEST,An independent experiment: a familiar website hero becomes a small top-down scene. A character follows the cursor and interacts with the interface.
One screen.
A small companion.
I took a familiar first screen: a logo, navigation, headline, description and buttons. I arranged them as objects on a playing field and added one character. Cursor movement now has a visible consequence.
The companion follows the cursor and navigates around text and objects. Hovering invites it over. A click commits the action: it arrives, grips an edge and presses the button.
Text and objects have collision boundaries that follow their rotation and rounded corners. Empty container space and cast shadows do not block movement. Clearance allows for the character body and a small gap.
A visibility graph connects possible passages. A* finds a short route around obstacles. For interactions, routes to all four sides are compared. The character chooses an accessible edge, turns towards it and keeps both hands clear of the corners. The demo can display this map.
Buttons with
a physical response.
The cursor indicates a goal; the character carries out the action. After a click it keeps its task even when the mouse moves away. The button moves into its hard shadow, making the press visible.
The radio on the left follows the same rule. Click its body and the character switches on a quiet music loop with hiss and subtle pitch wobble. Click again to turn it off. Sound starts only after interaction.
A little room
for distraction.
The orange book on the right opens in place. The next two clicks turn its spreads; one more click closes it. It offers a small discovery without leaving the first screen.
A scrap of paper and two banana peels form a small litter pile. Run through it and the character trips, falls, gets up and resumes its route. When it is busy, a reply appears in a speech bubble above its head.
could fit.
The mechanic could support a game launch page, event microsite or personal portfolio. The character gives visitors a reason to explore; objects could reveal a schedule, selected work, a brand story or supporting material.
Each application needs to test whether this pace helps its main task. This concept delays a click until the character arrives. For registration, payment or urgent actions I would keep a direct path. The current scene is designed for a desktop mouse; touch interaction needs its own solution.
SIDEQUEST is a working independent concept. It connects character behaviour with interface structure: movement has a goal and objects have interaction rules. Its commercial effect remains to be tested in a specific project.
WORKING CONCEPT
Take it for a walk.
Open the scene on a computer with a mouse. Hover over a button, switch on the radio and turn the book pages. Try to avoid the litter.
Open interactive scene
