Gong De Bag
A karma-powered, physics-based adventure about a fallen offering bag seeking spiritual redemption... as a piece of plastic bag. We hope it made you laugh, think, and maybe do more good deeds.
Role: Director
Platform: PC | Unreal Engine 5
Genre: 3D Adventure
Team: 2 students working over 3 months
Key Mechanics
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Physics Based Movement
The player controls a lightweight plastic bag that can get blown by wind, consume an object to get heavier and roll around, or spit the object out. There are also water based interactions where the bag can float on water when it is empty, or sink down to the bottom when it consumes an item. You can always interact with objects in exaggerated physical ways. Movement itself creates playful problem solving.
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Gong De System
This is the core narrative progression system. Every action contributes positively or negatively to the gong de scale. Helping villagers, cleaning areas, or assisting quests increases it. Causing chaos, spitting into people’s faces can reduce it.
Contribution
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As the director and originator of the Gong De Bag concept, I proposed the initial idea of a whimsical “plastic bag simulator” rooted in karmic redemption. From there, I led the project’s creative vision and development across multiple disciplines:
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Designed the complete gameplay systems, player interactions, and the karma-driven core loop.
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Developed core mechanics in Unreal Engine using Blueprints, including the consume and spit item system and a dynamic inventory system for item management and progression.
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Crafted the narrative foundation—transforming the bag’s fall from sacred temple offering to cursed reincarnation—and wove it into branching quests, NPC interactions, and environmental storytelling.
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I owned the level and quest design. I started by mapping the level flow on paper and creating a 2D layout to plan pacing and space. I then translated it into Unreal for blockout, iterated through playtesting, and refined spatial composition, lighting, and art direction to establish mood.
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Produced Animations and key 2D assets, including, NPC headshots, UI elements, and the 3D model of the plastic bag itself. Created both the intro and ending 2D animations, framing the story with a polished presentation.
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Oversaw the game’s artistic, narrative, and technical integration, ensuring all systems worked cohesively to deliver a playful yet meaningful player experience.
Intro animation: Procreate (by me)
Narrative Overview
Once upon a time, you were Gong De Bag—a sacred vessel that held offerings in a temple, honored as a symbol of virtue and generosity.
One fateful day, you burst apart, spilling every last offering entrusted to you. Outraged by this failure, Buddha cursed you to be reborn as a lowly flimsy plastic bag. To regain your honor, you must wander the world, performing good deeds and collecting karma.
Only by proving your worth through compassion and cleverness can you hope to reincarnate into something more noble once again.
Level Design
Quest Example
In this quest, the player assists Abao in catching a rare Lightning Banana Fish that lives in the lake. As a sentient plastic bag, the player learns the game’s core water interaction mechanics through this task.
By consuming pieces of garbage, the bag becomes heavier and can sink underwater; by spitting them out, it becomes lighter and floats back to the surface. The challenge lies in mastering this buoyancy-based control—using trash strategically to submerge, surface, and time your movements to catch the fish at the perfect moment.
Successfully delivering the fish to Abao rewards the player with Gong De (karma)!