Synopsis – Upstream
Welcome to Upstream, a game where you can live all the 9 lives of a cat. Whether it is that you want to be a pastry chef, a tarot card reader, a teacher, a fish market seller, Upstream allows you to delve into a fantasy world to achieve your life goals. Whoever achieves their goals first wins, however the path to success is uncertain… You do not know where life will take you and where to go to win, but that is what it takes to swim upstream!
Setting
Upstream centers around MARKT: a world-renowned, mystic fish market where animals (including fish) sell a variety of goods. The market is the center of the game, but it is ever-expanding as new shops open up and introduce new physical spaces and sub-tasks that players can explore. Each player has five expanding board pieces, which they may place as soon as they reach the edge of the board. These pieces are subtasks that other players must visit on their path upstream, and each player has the ending spot of another player.
Gameplay
The game consists of a center game board which represents the center of the market (it might be where the fish market is!). Each player has a limited amount of expansion grids that they are able to place onto the board. However, the player does not have their winning square in their deck, and they must wait for others to place their decks down in order to see where they should go to win. This grid-based system allows for players to complete sub-tasks related to their life goals and also encounter obstacles which might block them from reaching their victory quickly. This mechanic aims to slow down the process of winning, similar to how people have different timelines in winning at life in the real world. The players either advance squares using a die or cards, however that is still uncertain.
Ending
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- Life-based game
- Ticket to Ride: each person has a route they need to finish, but others don’t know
- Randomize path ending but you’re guessing the path
- Randomize path ending that you follow to win
- Final spot on the grid that you have to reach
Tone
- Delight
- Friendly competition
- Whimsical/Fantasy
Tone References
Key Challenges for Design
Some of our key design challenges will likely be creating the physical aspects of the board and pieces, involving 3D printing, laser cutting the board and its extensions, and graphic design for the actual board spaces. Additionally, we want to narratively create unique, yet overall cohesive, aesthetics for each expanding physical sector of the game board. We also want to ensure within the ruleset that we pace the game so that players can explore the narrative and themes long enough to enjoy them, but not so long that they get bored.
Key Challenges for Art
Some key challenges for art would include having a consistent art style, variety in architecture, and exciting new grids. We want players to not step out of character whenever a new expansion grid is placed. The grid should be consistent in design and artistic choices so that the market is coherent. Furthermore, there should be variety in architecture to add excitement to the game but also allow for the market to look extremely realistic. We were thinking of using 3d printing to actually print out stalls or shops in the market! Lastly, without a doubt, the expansion grids have to be exciting. There is no thrill in playing something that looks boring! Since the magic circle relies heavily on the game board, it is important that we keep them colorful, dynamic, and surprising.
Key Challenges for Tech
After looking at our high-level design goals, these are the most challenging surrounding tech that we anticipate:
- Seamless Integration of Physical and Digital Elements
In Upstream, we’ll be blending tactile, analog gameplay with optional digital enhancements (specifically., a randomized goal generator). Ensuring this integration doesn’t feel clunky or intrusive will require careful user flow design. We’ll need to test different interaction models to determine what maintains immersion without overwhelming players with screen interaction. - Creating a Digital Randomizer
Since parts of the game rely on chance or hidden information (e.g., randomized goal locations or events that alter player paths), we’ll need a reliable and whimsical-feeling randomizer. This might take the form of leveraging AI to create a digital “dm” or “fortune teller” who will match our aesthetic. The challenge will be balancing technical reliability (across devices, internet connectivity) with narrative richness and visual cohesion. - Digital Rule Clarification / Onboarding Tool
Given the novelty of the grid expansion mechanic and hidden victory paths, we may want to provide a digital helper to clarify rules, guide onboarding, or offer tutorials. Designing this to be helpful but not essential (so the game remains playable without tech) will be key. This might also serve accessibility purposes for players who prefer guided instruction. This is less of a challenge and more-so a feature we’re considering, but isn’t our MVP! - Testing for Scalability and Randomization Fairness
We want each game of Upstream to feel different for replayability, but not unfair. Ensuring the randomization logic doesn’t lead to broken paths, unreachable goals, or overly unbalanced outcomes will require simulating multiple playthroughs and possibly implementing constraint-based generation algorithms.
Who is this for?
This game is for players who enjoy having a fun, cute, delightful time with friends and family. Specifically, we’re designing for escapists who want to step out of their own worlds and reimagine what other paths are possible. Anyone who is feeling stagnant in their lives is bound to find a little joy (and introspection) in UPSTREAM.
Appendix:
https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2025/05/04/individual-checkpoint-1-concept-doc-ilaria/
https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2025/05/05/individual-team-…liverable-dalynn/
https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2025/05/05/checkpoint-1-individual-teammate-post-monica-hicks/
https://mechanicsofmagic.com/2025/05/05/individual-team-member-deliverable/
