Synopsis
The player is a banished God during the time of the Incan Empire. Specifically, Viracocha — the God behind the creation of Earth and the sky. Out of fear of his power, the player has been banished and stripped of his powers, now living life as a mortal in the Andes mountains of Peru. The player must work to traverse the world, evade danger, and regather their powers as they make their way back to the world of the Gods. Along the way, the player realizes what it means to be a mortal in the world he created, forges relationships with other humans, and struggles through trials and tribulations in making their way through the Incan Empire. Ultimately, the game is a human journey seen through the eyes of a God, struggling to find himself and reclaim his power.
Setting
The game is set in the heart of the Incan Empire, in the Andes mountains of Peru. The player’s journey will take them through the various landscapes of the empire, from the high-altitude mountain peaks to the lush jungles of the Amazon basin. They will encounter the great Incan cities and architectural wonders, such as the mountain-top citadel of Machu Picchu and the sprawling capital city of Cusco.
Characters
Main Character: Viracocha
The main character of the game is Viracocha the God behind the creation of Earth and the sky. According to Incan mythology, Viracocha was responsible for creating the world and all living beings, and was worshiped as one of the most important and powerful gods in the pantheon. He considered himself all mighty, but the other Gods were afraid of him so they plotted to demote him from his throne.
Supporting Characters:
Pachamama: Pachamama, also known as “Mother Earth,” was the goddess of fertility, agriculture, and nature in the Incan pantheon. She was believed to be responsible for providing for the needs of the people, and was worshiped through offerings of food and drink. In the game, Pachamama could play a role in providing the player with resources and blessings to aid them in their quest. For example, the player could make offerings to Pachamama to receive boosts to their farming or hunting abilities.
Inti: Inti, also known as the “Sun God,” was one of the most important gods in the Incan pantheon. He was believed to provide light and warmth to the world, and was worshiped through offerings of gold and other precious metals. In the game, Inti could play a role in providing the player with powerful abilities related to light and heat. For example, the player could call upon Inti to summon a beam of intense sunlight to blind enemies or to melt through obstacles. Additionally, Inti could play a role in the game’s storyline, with the player being tasked with defending Inti’s sacred temple from invaders or other threats.
Gameplay:
Our game will be a 2D platformer where the player controls Viracocha, a nimble, cunning god returned to human form. Each level of our game consists of a trial set for Viracocha by various gods in Incan myth, letting the player prove their worth to restore their godly abilities. The heart of our gameplay is in the traversal of the environment to reach the home of each god—the player’s ability to jump, crouch, crawl, and dash allows them to navigate hazardous terrains, tight passages, and dangerous enemy threats. As the player completes trials, they earn new powers such as charge dashes, downward crushes, and control of the sun’s light that allow them to traverse more difficult obstacles, find resources, and uncover more of the story. The perilous cliffs, caves, and slopes of the Andes are a great setting for these kinds of platforming challenges, as Viracocha makes his climb back to the lands of his fellow gods. Taking 2D platforming masterpieces such as Super Metroid and Hollow Knight as reference, the game will offer the player a variety of methods to overcome the imposing terrain.
Tone References:
Our game is centered around the feelings of adventure and discovery. By immersing our player in the history and mythology of the Incan empire, we hope to leave them in awe as they see for themselves the power and beauty of Peruvian culture and landscapes. Also, we hope to promote empathy in our game as our player starts building relationships with the Incan people and learns to become part of their community.
Media Inspiration – Coco, Super Mario Bros, Hollow Knight, Celeste, Temple Run
Key Challenges for Design and Tech:
- Structuring Levels. While we have a general gist of the setting and premise of our game, we need to ensure our game stays exciting and each level is differentiated. As the character achieves more power, we have to make sure that the game gets increasingly more difficult — would there be terrain change, battles, hallucinations?
- Complex movement patterns. When designing a platform game, we have to remember to make sure specific movements are not too complicated. We want our characters to be able to explore a wide range of terrain, which means they should be able to run, jump, climb, and swim. Therefore, we have to prioritize what is feasible and make sure there is an easy way for our player to differentiate these buttons when using our game.
- Specific input sequences. As our character earns more powers and resources, we have to find an easy way for our player to be able to access each of these skills. For example, they would need to locate a different button to fly vs to run, and as these skills add up it will be harder to differentiate between them. We will therefore need to limit the number of levels/powers the player will be able to achieve. It might be easiest to add a backpack that they can press with a button and from there have a list of things they can easily select from.
Appendix
Luc’s Concept Doc: https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2023/05/07/checkpoint-1-concept-doc-15/
Vale’s Concept Doc: https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2023/05/08/checkpoint-1-incan-empire-individual/
Dria’s Concept Doc:
https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2023/05/08/dria-individual-checkpoint-1/
Daphne’s Concept Doc: https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2023/05/09/p1-checkpoint-concept-doc/
