GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT HYPER GRIND. A Cyberpunk Runner. Prepared By: Nick Penner. Last Updated: 10/7/16

Transcription

1 GAME UMENT HYPER GRIND A Cyberpunk Runner Prepared By: Nick Penner Last Updated: 10/7/16

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS GAME ANALYSIS 3 MISSION STATEMENT 3 GENRE 3 PLATFORMS 3 TARGET AUDIENCE 3 STORYLINE & CHARACTERS 4 GAMEPLAY 5 OVERVIEW OF GAMEPLAY 5 PLAYER EXPERIENCE 5 GAMEPLAY GUIDELINES 5 GAME OBJECTIVES & REWARDS 6 GAMEPLAY MECHANICS 6 LEVEL DESIGN 7 CONTROL SCHEME 9 GAME AESTHETICS & USER INTERFACE Page 2 of 9

3 Game Analysis Hyper Grind is a forced scrolling platformer set in a cyberpunk world. You as the player are rebelling against the cold corporate world that surrounds you by spray painting over their signs and billboards. Collect paint cans to refill your ability to paint, but the cans can also be used to propel yourself with a double jump you must balance the usage between these two options. Levels are generated each time you play, with the section of level becoming harder as you progress. By spraying over corporate signs you increase a progression bar that once fills summons the boss. Defeat the boss by dodging their attacks and sending powered up attacks back at them. Mission Statement Genre Platforms A fast and challenging platformer set in a cyberpunk world. The level is generated each time you play and victory will mean conquering the boss, if you can even make it that far. Platformer, Forced Scrolling, Runner PC, Mobile Target Audience This game is aimed at people who enjoy runners, but would like a higher difficulty along with shorter game sessions. Difficulty and generated levels keep replay value high. People who enjoy a slightly different experience each time they play will find the game interesting. Aimed at fans of IOS runners and pc rogue-likes Page 3 of 9

4 Storyline & Characters The game being with The Skater exiting his van, and skating across the road avoiding obstacles. Corporate signs and iconography are sprayed over as he passes, but they use up a spray can. You can collect more throughout the environment. After spraying over enough signs a boss appears, which after defeating ends the game. Character Description Characteristics Misc. Info The Skater The skater the playable character. He starts out each level skating out of his van. Skull Boss The Skull boss is summoned once the player sprays over a set number of signs. It launches projectiles at the skater. The skater is force scrolled along with the level and can either jump, or double jump. Double jumping uses a spray can. The Skull boss moves up and down at the right of the screen launching projectiles. Some of which can be hit back at the boss. The skater fails and respawns if he run into an obstacle head-on, or lands on a hazard. After a certain number of projectiles being sent back the boss is destroyed. The boss has a unique platformer set Page 4 of 9

5 Gameplay Overview of Gameplay The game is a hybrid of more traditional runners such as Jet Pack Joyride and Temple Run, with the level generation and difficulty of Spelunky. The controls are simple, and as such would be playable on a wide variety of platformers though pc and mobile would be the starting point. Hyper Grind is a single player experience. Generated Levels A new challenge each time. A fast paced and difficult experience with fun obstacles. Quick gameplay sessions promote replayability how far can you get? Player Experience The starting screen briefs you with simple controls, and the option to START. You begin the game seeing the skater exit a van, with a prompt telling you to jump. Once the skater jumps, he takes forward and the game begins. Obstacles come at you to jump over and up on to continue. Failure results you respawning back at the van. Corporate billboards spawn in, and passing over them sprays them with graffiti. The UI shows a spray can being deducted from your inventory, and a progress bar filling up at the top. Spray cans also spawn in and passing over them increases the spray can inventory by one. You can also double jump to get over more difficult obstacles by using up a spray can but if you use up all the spray can you can no longer spray billboards or double jump. The more the progress bar fills up the more difficult the obstacles and the spacing of them become. Once you fill the progress bar, a boss is summoned in. The playfield becomes simplified when the boss spawns in so you can focus on the encounter. Periodically the boss will spawn an orb, which if you touch will shoot back at the boss causing it damage. You must last long enough to hit the boss multiple times to defeat it and see the credit. You are then brought back to the main menu, to try again with a newly generated level. Gameplay Guidelines Obstacles must never appear in such succession as to be unavoidable. Obstacles must be clear that they are to be avoided Page 5 of 9

6 Safe surfaces must appear flat to differentiate from hazard, which should not be flat surfaces. Spray cans must never force the player to die in order to obtain them. The generated level should progress in difficulty smoothly. It should be clear what killed you. UI must make it visible how many spray cans you have. The Skater must be visible against the background. Game Objectives & Rewards Rewards Penalties Difficulty Levels New sets of platforms appear as the player progresses, so they see new sights and obstacles as the venture further in the game. Obstacles to jump over, platforms to reach, and hazards to avoid. Failure means a new level is generated for you to try. Difficulty of the platformer scales up as you progress through a level. Difficulty is meant to be hard, in the vein of Super Meat Boy. Gameplay Mechanics Character Attributes Character The Skater (player) Skull Boss (npc) Game Modes Single Player / Hard Movement Abilities / Actions Available Jump (button press) Double Jump (Jump mid-air, uses Can) Spray (auto over Billboard if Can in inv) Pickup Can (auto over Can) Attack Boss (auto over powerup) Hover (move up and down auto) Summon Pillars (constant) Summon Powerup (periodically) There is one difficulty setting. The game level increases in challenge as progress is made. Scoring System Points/Coins/Stars/Grades/Etc. Points are given when spraying over billboards. How it s Awarded & Benefits Gates progress to boss Page 6 of 9

7 Level Design The game will have a single level that is generated each time the player starts. It ends in a boss. The background stays consistent, but new elements and obstacles are introduced as progress is made. Levels Stage 1 : Basics Difficulty : Easy Learn basics. Rails, Buildings and Vehicles to jump on. Occasional Gaps. Easy to reach spray cans and billboards. Purple colour scheme. No double jumping needed. Stage 2 : More Gaps Difficulty : Medium More gaps in the path. Obstacles packed more tightly. Objectives still easily in reach. More vehicles. Fewer rails less colours. Rare double jump. Stage 3 : Fancy Footwork Difficulty : Medium+ Individual obstacles require multiple jumps. Gaps come more frequently. Cans and billboards more challenging. Rails return. Green colour scheme. Introduction of cone hazards. Double jumping needed Page 7 of 9

8 Stage 4 : Hazards Everywhere Difficulty : Hard Mix and match of all prior areas. Constant caps and hazards. Can be tricky to reach billboards. Double jumping required constantly. Stage 5 : Boss Fight Difficulty : Hard Pillars rise from the ground in set groups. Constant jumping. Must collect attack pellets Page 8 of 9

9 Control Scheme This game uses a keyboard for control. It will then be adapted to mobile using virtual buttons. Button/ Touch Input Z Key / Touch Lower Left Up Key / Touch Lower Right Action it Performs Use a spray can to double jump. Can be used mid-air. Standard jump. Need to be on ground to jump. Game Aesthetics & User Interface The game will have a pixel art look. It will be based on two layers a foreground and background. Gameplay will take place on the foreground plane, while the background is for visuals only. Silhouette look for the city scape with a skate boarding look for the gameplay area. The HUD will be along the top of the screen showing spray can number and progress bar for the level. Simple menu system, and an intro screen that shows you controls Page 9 of 9