Well, I put together a small game in a few weeks. I've been experimenting with environmental storytelling where the narrative is told entirely through objects scattered across a huge beach. This is what Beach of the Never is all about. No dialogue, almost no text, and a lot of travel and observation.

One thing I tried is using horizon-based curiosity. Objects appear far away and players decide whether to investigate them. I'm still trying to figure out whether this keeps people engaged or whether the walking starts to feel tedious.

I also experimented with slowdown zones. There is an invisible ray in front of the player, and when it touches something important, like a note or an object meant to be studied, the movement speed automatically slows.

Check out the game here:
https://anv.itch.io/beach-of-the-never

If you want a deeper look at the design process, I made a short commentary video here:
https://youtu.be/r59xaFLiYrw