Assignment 2 - Game Concept

Working Title

Jail Jump

Concept Statement

Jail Jump is a top down puzzle game about an alien that has been captured by human military after crash landing on earth.  While they managed to escape their cell, the military base is extremely confusing. Luckily they stumble upon a prototype teleport gun that allows them to move through walls. Help the alien find their way out of the military base using this new technology.

Genre

This game's genre is a top down puzzle as the goal is to focus on navigating increasingly challenging top down levels to completion.

Concept creation process

The idea of this game came from thinking about how interesting game mechanics affect the playing experience and even create genres. For example stealth which was first utilised in 005 by Sega (Image 1)  was the beginning of a mechanic which is still used today in games such as Serial Cleaner (Image 2). So considering this I've focussed on the portal mechanic from Portal by Valve (Image 3), but have simplified the concept so that it creates a simple one way portal through walls. The idea from doing this is to be able to create a unique way for the character to interact with environment which the puzzle structures can then be built around.

Image 1: Plasket (2017)

Image 2: Diver (2017)

Image 3 : Hwang (2020)

Audience and Competitive Analysis

This game is for any puzzle enthusiasts aged 8 and up. 

It's an easy to comprehend  game with simple controls making it widely accessible for most ages. The game won't deal with any distressing themes such as gore or inappropriate language, so it will be clean for children.  This game is created to be a safe place for all ages.

Puzzle enthusiasts will be naturally drawn to this game as the primary objective of this game is to quickly and effectively solve a puzzle environment.  Many of the game's traps and obstacles will be on set animated lerps or timers adding environmental time pressures on the player to increase puzzle difficulty as well as replayability.

A similar game stylistically to this currently on the market is the previously mentioned Serial Cleaner, although mechanically it has more of a hybrid of the portal mechanics with a top down format. 

Game Treatment 

Setting

This game is set in an Earth military base that is keeping a crashed alien captive. Using a found prototype of a teleport gun the alien has a slim chance to escape the base and make it home if they can figure out a way through the base's confusing structure.

Portal Gun

The portal gun creates one way gateways through single thickness walls so the character is able to quickly jump into adjacent rooms. Controlling the gun will be done through the mouse with a left click controlling the shot.

Player

Simple 8 way movement is the base for the player movement using WASD controls.

Obstacles

Basic obstacles in this game will be mechanical security droids moving on lerps. But further in the game's production to increase level difficulty, human men will search for the player between rooms, possibly even having an enemy with their own portal gun.

The character will take damage every second when coming into contact with any of these obstacles, which may result in death that resets the level.

Level Design

Levels will appear mainly as blocked out rooms, some with obstacles. While none of the rooms are connected the player will be able to get through by using the portal gun. Below in Image 4 is a very basic example of how the rooms will connect together to create a level, in the bottom room the player can be seen, in the middle room is an enemy and the last room is an example of the flexibility of the room designs that can be used.

Image 4

Refrences

Diver, M. (2017). ‘Serial Cleaner’ Is a Great Idea Wrapped In An Infuriating Game. [online] Vice. Available at: https://www.vice.com/en/article/evdq57/serial-cleaner-is-a-great-idea-wrapped-in... [Accessed 21 Apr. 2024].

Hwang, J. (2020). Portal : Critical Play, CS247G. [online] Game Design Fundamentals. Available at: https://medium.com/game-design-fundamentals/portal-critical-play-cs247g-91cda46f... [Accessed 21 Apr. 2024].

Plasket, M. (2017). 005 – Hardcore Gaming 101. [online] Available at: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/005-2/ [Accessed 21 Apr. 2024].