Mood Board
Playlist
Narrative Directions (Endless Runner)
Direction 1 – Dino Extinction
This version plays into the classic apocalyptic premise associated with the demise of our beloved prehistoric creatures. You are one of the last surviving dinos, sprinting through an increasingly unstable world as fire rains from the sky, ash clouds chase behind you, and meteors reshape the land mid-run. The fun here is in the escalating chaos — new environmental hazards are introduced the longer you survive, ranging from rocks to trees to maybe even meteors and other dinosaurs. As the story unfolds, brief visual flashes show other species perishing or escaping underground, and maybe the game ends with a twist as a time portal opens, and the dinosaurs gain an opportunity to rewrite their fate.
Direction 2 – The Curious Dino
Instead of running from extinction, here we play as a small dino who just wants to explore the strange, giant world around you. The game is bright, playful, and a bit whimsical, something less apocalyptic and more like Finding Nemo or Kirby. As you run, you collect shiny things, meet quirky creatures, and unlock new “zones” like a jungle playground. The dino wants to explore as much of the world as possible, maybe we can include player progression and the dino ages as you level up. If we decide to add power-ups, that could be fun as well, but something much more fun and light-hearted with a brighter vibe and theme.
Direction 3 – The Stanford Sprint
In this sharp departure from our previous ideas, I wanted to consider what we might do if we didn’t want to stick with the dinosaur theme. In this situation, you’re a sleep-deprived Stanford student sprinting across campus late for class, dodging bikes, laundry baskets, Berkeley bears, and groups of CS majors venting about partner projects (lol). The further you run, the more absurd things get, like maybe you’re suddenly being chased by a wave of Canvas notifications or there’s a massive super Berkeley bear, but the overall gist will be either running away from failure or running towards success. Narrative-wise, this game leans into something more satirical, like how a day in the life can become a surreal and comedic marathon of academic chaos. Power-ups could include cold brew, office hours, or CARTA giving you foresight. This could prove much more difficult with design, but we will consider this.
