The key elements of this game include it's undirected exploration, riddle/puzzle solving, difficulty increase in riddles, hints/clue elements, no enemies, 2 main characters and 3 sub characters, creepy/dark graphics, background music, riddle music and the specific storyline.
The undirected exploration will allow the player to walk and roam freely around the town to explore the town itself and interact with the locals which will be the three sub characters. The player won't have instructions to follow necessarily as the can choose their own pace of playing in the game. The riddles and puzzles will help the player progress through the game and eventually reach the end which will have one final riddle that'll uncover the truth behind the mystery. As the player progresses by means of the riddles and puzzles the difficulty level of these will increase as the game goes on. The player must solve the riddle/puzzle correctly in order to progress through the game. If the player can't solve the riddle they must simply keep trying until they get it right. This type of adventure game will have no enemies or impending threats to the player, much like that of a cozy game. As the player has no enemies or threats they're motivation to continue the game will come from the specified story line of the character Jane who goes missing suddenly and the player must solve her disappearance in order to uncover the truth. The two main characters will be Detective Crain, the character played by the first person player and the second character will be Jane the missing girl. The three sub characters will be three locals in the town who either know something about the disappearance or are reluctant to tell the player anything about it. Throughout the whole game there will be background music. This music will be slightly upbeat in order to boost the player's motivation to solve the mystery and will be consistent throughout the entire game. There will also be music playing when the player tries to solve a riddle or puzzle. This music will be curiosity music/inquisitive music that will make the player think hard about how they'll solve the puzzle/riddle.
Finally the specific storyline will be a key element in this game. The storyline specifies that the player will be playing as Detective Crain, a renowned detective who is sent away to The Mysterious Island to try and solve the disappearance of Jane, a local girl who has disappeared suddenly in plain sight. Crain must interview locals, solve puzzles and riddles, explore the dreary dark town and finally solve the disappearance of Jane and bring her home.
Key Features
Key features of this game include:
- Undirected exploration
- difficulty increase of riddles
- 2 main characters
- no enemies
- mystery/riddle/puzzle solving to progress through game
- hints/clues
- curious music
- specific storyline
- background music
Game Introduction
This game is an adventure based platform game for the PC. The first-person player will embark on a journey to a remote island as Detective Crain in order to solve the sudden disappearance of one of it's locals, a young girl named Jane. Nobody knows where Jane has disappeared to. someone saw something, someone heard something and someone is the perpetrator behind it all. The detective must interview all locals of The Mysterious Island in order to obtain information on Jane and what may have caused her disappearance. The player will do this by solving various riddles and puzzles that will provide a clue or hint towards the next riddle that will eventually lead to solving Jane's disappearance. Clues can also be found in the form of gems around the town. These will help the player solve the riddles if they're stuck or need some help in solving them. Once each riddle is solved the player will eventually be lead to a final riddle that will reveal where Jane is and what happened to her that caused her to disappear.
Genre - Adventure based game/challenge/puzzle game.
Content includes problem solving, riddles and puzzles. The player will have to solve riddles etc in order to progress through the game. If the player finds that they can't solve a riddle or puzzle they must keep trying until they eventually solve it. All riddles and puzzles must be solved in order to allow the player to progress through the game and achieve the final objective which is to find Jane and figure out what had happened to her.
GamePlay
The player will be able to freely roam through the town and interact with objects in the town. The only rules of the game is that the player must solve all riddles to progress through the game. If the riddle is wrong then they've to keep trying until it's correct. The player will be tasked mentally with all the riddles and puzzles in the game. The player is playing as Detective Crain therefore they'll have to master all problems and solve the end puzzle to uncover the truth behind Jane's disappearance.
Target audience & platforms - 18 + target audience & platform game for the PC
My primary target is people from age 18 and up as the riddles may be too difficult or complex for a younger audience. This game targets those who have a strong sense of curiosity and those who love a good challenge. This game is best suited to young adults and up from the age of 13+. This game appeals to all audiences in one form or another whether it be the storyline, the mystery/crime aspect to it or simply just the problem solving aspect of the game.
Look and Feel - a creepy old decrepit town on a remote island
The game will be designed as a Tim Burton like animation with tall, thin houses, streetlamps, sketchy locals and a dark setting throughout the day and night. The town lacks colour so the colour palette for the town will mainly consist of black, grey, brown and off-white colours.
The player will feel creeped out and on edge while playing. The inspiration for this game stems from Tim Burton's movie the Corpse Bride as the movie takes place in a dull town with very little to no colour in it at all.
Story
The story behind the game is about a young detective named Detective Crain who's asked to journey to a remote island dubbed 'The Mysterious Island'. Detective Crain will visit this island in an attempt to solve the mysterious disappearance of one of its locals, Jane. In order to find Jane and uncover the truth behind her disappearance Crain will have to search the town for clues by solving riddles and interacting with the town's suspicious and all too quiet locals. As Detective Crain explores the dark town and it's locals he must interview three main locals who he suspects have either witnessed something to do with the disappearance of Jane or are withholding vital information. Each one of these locals have a specific reputation in the town and each knows something about Jane's disappearance whether they want to admit it or not. Crain must push for information from each local and locate Jane in order to bring her home and reveal how she disappeared in the first place.
How to Play
It's a simple navigation to use. The player can roam freely throughout the town therefore the controls aren't too constricted however there will be a fence around the part of town where the creepy old mansion sits. My hope is for the player to be able to solve all riddles and puzzles so they can complete the game and bring the mystery to an end. The game play isn't difficult as my aim is to make this game to appeal to all types of players from experienced to inexperienced, beginners to experts. Therefore the controls are straight forward and simple to use for players of all levels. The player can walk all around the town and interact with elements such as gems which will provide a clue to a riddle when collected. The player can also interact with three sub characters within the game. They may do this by simply approaching a character and then the character will begin speaking to the player.
Technical
In order to play this game the player will need a good quality PC to receive the full effect of the game. This game will work on PC platforms only. The game requires the player to have a fast responding PC which is also a recent model up to date with the software in order to get the full experience when playing the game. A wide PC screen is also necessary in order for the player to be able to view all graphics and content. As there is background music in various aspects of this game the user's PC must also have a clear speaker in order to provide the player with a great gaming experience and so that they'll be able to hear every noise in the game to let them know that they've successfully solved a riddle or puzzle etc. This game is suited to PC's only and will not work on tablets, mobile phones or any other platform than specified.
System Requirements
This game is to be played on a PC platform only. The PC being used to play the game must be up to date with the latest version of Windows available for the PC. The PC should also have at least a 6 GB of RAM storage and a hard drive with a large storage space at least 25 GB of available space. An Intel Core processor is also recommended. These are the minimal requirements that are needed on the PC of those who wish to play this game. This game will not work on a PC that operates with an older version of Windows. Windows 8 is the recommended version. The PC should also have good graphics of a high quality.
Game Architechture
The overall game will be in a dark setting with very little light and colour apart from the odd tree line or patch of grass. The town itself will consist of old worn down buildings that are displayed in a Time Burton animation type of fashion as the buildings will be designed as tall, thin and rugged. The colour scheme for this game will consist of blacks, greys, whites and browns. Characters that are pleasant in nature will be shown as wearing colourful clothing that represents the only source of colour in this dull town. Each of the riddles will be appear in a pop up fashion and will be displayed in small square boxes which will be presented to the player when they approach the boxes. Gems will also represent the clues/hints that lie around town which will help the player solve the riddles and the overall mystery. Street lamps will be provided in the streets of the town which will help the player obtain the overall creepy feeling that the game provides. These will also be the only main light source within the town/game. Shadows will also be cast by the streetlights which will boost the element of fear within the town. The main building in the town will be an old Victorian style mansion that hangs over town in a secluded section.
User Interface (controls)
The arrow keys for left, right, up and down on a keyboard would be best suited for this type of gameplay as they allow the player to take full advantage of the undirected exploration of the game. The controls for this game have been simplified in order to help the game be suited for players of varying gaming experiences. Whether a beginner or an expert, each player will be able to play and navigate this game with ease and interact with each key element without any difficulty. The arrow keypad was chosen for these reasons as it's the simplest form of game play controls that appeals to all players. It also allows every player to fully explore and navigate their way around town and feed their curiosity. As the key element is undirected exploration the player can fully dive into this aspect by using each arrow key to move around the town and interact with objects and elements. When the player encounters a gem they must simply just walk through it and it will be collected. This game contains no complex or complicated controls.
Artwork (design)
Inspired artwork:
The artwork below is where I've sourced my inspiration for the game design itself. I took inspiration from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. The town in this movie consists of tall dark buildings with little to no colour shown at all apart from on the Corpse Bride herself as she's the only source of light in this dull town. The building design in this movie motivated and inspired me to incorporate this aspect into the town and characters of my own game where I'll put my own personal twist on them.
Below I've included images from this movie that have inspired me and that show what I'd like my town and characters to look similar to.
Technical Requirements
The technical requirements for the visual aspects of this game include a stark creepy design for the building and town aspects of the game. All animations must be exaggerated in order to give the full effect of the creepiness within the game itself. The artwork is limited to approximately 6 or 7 buildings, 3 local townspeople, 2 main characters and small amounts of trees and grass. Colour is also limited as the aim of the game is to be creepy and dark with a colour palette that consists of blacks, greys, whites and browns. As for hardware and software the PC that supports the game must have the latest Windows version which is currently Windows 10 and must have sufficient RAM memory, at least 30 GB available for storage and high quality graphics. The file format will be an STL file that will save when the player chooses to save their game for another time.
Heads Up Display (HUD)
Characters health won't be affected through the game as there's no enemy however the character can wander around the town and collect items such as hints/clues. An indication of game progression would refer to the riddles/puzzles. Once solved the character progresses through the game and becomes closer to uncovering the truth. If the player encounters difficulty when attempting to solve a riddle they must keep trying until they get it right. Maybe ask a friend or partner and see if they can solve it! The items in this game will include gems which will display the clues when the player walks through the gem. The player can then use these clues that they've obtained to try and solve the riddle that they're stuck on or having difficulty with. When the player solves a riddle the automatically progress through the game by unlocking more riddles that will eventually lead them to the final riddle that unveils the mystery behind Jane's disappearance. A victory type of sound effect will be heard to indicate to the player that they've progressed to another riddle and are getting closer to the final riddle.
Characters
The game will consist of 2 main character and 3 sub characters.
Character 1 - Is Detective Crain the main character who the player will be playing as. Crain wears a long beige coloured coat, grey trousers and black suit shoes with a notepad in his pocket. He also wears a classic detectives hat which is also beige in colour with a black stripe in it's centre. Facial wise he will don a large brown moustache with thick eyebrows and a stern look on his face.
Character 2 - Is Jane Jones the missing girl. Jane will have light-brown hair which she wears in a bun as she works all day sweeping and cleaning the floor of the local cafe. She wears a ligh-blue dress with puffy cap sleeves and a small white apron along with little brown shoes. Jane is roughly around 22 years old.
Character 3 - Is a sub character who Crain will be able to interact with and question about the disappearance of Jane. His name is Mr. Atticus Moon. Atticus can often be found fixing the street lamps in the town. He wears a white shirt with black suspenders, black trousers and black shoes. He also has short blonde hair and is around the same age as Jane.
Character 4 - Is another sub character named Anna Chime. Anna is the local crazy lady who only speaks in riddles. Crain suspects she knows about Jane's disappearance. Anna has shoulder length grey hair and wears a long black dress with a grey cardigan and black shoes.
Character 5 - Is the last sub character named Luna Browne. Luna has long blonde hair and always looks worried. She wears a dark red dress with pockets either side and brown shoes. Luna is 30 years old.
Character 1
This is the main character named Detective Crain. Crain comes from and works in Long-Island. He graduated top of his class at the age of 22 and became a full-time detective dedicated to solving disappearances and murders. He's the best detective in town which is why he's been tasked with solving Jane's disappearance and travels to The Mysterious Island. He is well known far and wide for his problem solving skills and dedication to his job. Detective Crain will have to put his skills to the test as he explores this odd town and interacts with it's all too creepy locals and decrepit buildings. Crain is always driven to solving mysteries such as Jane's disappearance and will not rest until justice is served.
Level Design
The game will all be one level. The character progresses through the game by solving riddles and unlocks new ones when he does this. The mission is to crack the case, solve all the problems and find Jane. The level will be designed as one small creepy town filled with old, dull buildings and locals with dimly lit streetlights illuminating the shadows at night. As the player solves each riddle they will automatically progress in the game by unlocking their next riddle. The player must search the town for the next riddle, solve it and progress again etc. Below are my sketches for the character of Detective Crain and the building design.
Global Elements
The camera view will be from an outside point of view so the player can see their character in full as well as the other characters. The player cannot enter buildings however they can interact with the people outside the buildings. Fences will be placed to show the boundaries within the game showing the player where they can and cannot go. A map will be provided on a small section of the screen which roughly shows the towns buildings, their names and where the locals are.
Player View
The camera will be positioned as an outside point of view in order to let the player view everything in full about their character and buildings. Zoom aspects will not be necessary in the game as everything will be in full perspective. Below is a rough drawing of what the view will be like.
Game Flow Chart
Below is a flow chart that I've compiled of how the player interacts with elements within the game. When the player walks through a gem they automatically unlock a hint. When the player gets a riddle correct they unlock a new one however if they get it wrong then they must try again.
Development
My game will be programmed by using Unity software. First I'll compile a list of my games key elements, characters, features, elements, interactive elements and overall game play and controls. I will use coding within Unity to help program my game and develop it further.
Audio & Sound F/x
Since this game is based on mystery I will have background music playing. The music will be curious sounding which will hopefully enhance the players curiosity and spur them on throughout the game. When the player is solving a riddle/puzzle the music will change to a faster paced piece of music to get their anticipation up. Sound effects will be added when a player completes an action for example when the player successfully completes a riddle a "ding" type of noise will sound. If the player gets the riddle answer wrong then a dull thud will sound to indicate and let the player know that the answer was wrong and that they'll have to try again.
Technical Requirements
The audio content must be loud enough to let all players here it so they are aware of their actions and progress when playing the game. The PC must have a good sound quality audio output in order to let the player avail of the sound elements of the game which are key elements in how the player will progress.
Player Elements
When the player finds a hint/clue a "ding" sounding noise will appear to show them that they've discovered a clue. There will be no vibrations in this game however when the player chooses/clicks on a local character to interact with a "boop" noise will sound to let them know that they're choosing this action.
Global Elements
The background music will be pensive and evoke curiosity in the player. The game will have a serene sounding background music too in order to keep the player calm as the faster paced music that comes when solving a riddle/puzzle may make the player feel under pressure in that moment. As the player is walking they will hear footsteps sound effects also.
Splash Screens
The splash screen will display the game logo at the beginning of the game and anytime the player opens the game. This will have background music from the Unity store and will be an ambient background.
Menu Fx
The menu options will include a pause button, a continue button, a settings button and a save slot button so the player can save their progress as they go along. The menu will also appear in the form as an old, aged looking map to add to the adventure aspect of the game. The sound effect for the menu buttons will be a clear, deep "click" sound and will be hear whenever the player presses a button on the menu.
