I had some primary themes in mind for this, but we’ll see if I can convey them in images, sounds, and descriptions first before I give you the actual words…
Moodboard
Spotify Playlist
Narrative Directions
(1) Bringing 1920s gangsters into the 21st century with tech
To mesh analog and digital components, I envision a hybrid paper-based puzzle solving element meshed with a web-facilitated chat feature or cybersecurity-like atmosphere where individuals attempt to enter passwords to bypass security systems or invade blueprints and plans. Combining this into a cohesive story, I can see a group of 1920s gangsters brought to the future in 2026 (one hundred years later) to pull off the greatest heist of all time. Having to work against modern technologies, espionage methods, and airtight security, they must develop new skills like hacking, red-teaming, and decryption in tandem with their traditional tactics of document analysis, bribery, and more.
(2) Go Ocean’s 11 and build a crew
No crime is complete without a team of experts in their various fields. We could create roles with separate resources and abilities for each person on different sides of the heist equation: detective, police commissioner, hacker, thief/pickpocket, basher (bomb man), etc. Each of these roles has access to their own sets of documents and territories within the web interface component of the game, accessible through passwords provided in their individual dossiers. Teams must aggregate the information available in their players’ separate folders and files, without being able to see the documents of a role that a player is not currently acting as. For example, the detective cannot see the police officer’s notes, the pickpocket will not be able to see the digital information that the hacker can. This creates a very prominent need for outstanding communication between team members, in order to adequately piece together their puzzles.
(3) Make it a little kooky with some sneaky animals
*Unfortunately I couldn’t create an image that would do this idea justice in my head without making me feel hopeless…*
The Sharks and the Jets. The Montagues and Capulets. The Minks and the Foxes (or the Weasels, or the Badgers). See? It blends right in. I’d like to bring a very Andrew Bosley-esque style to this game, and create a world that isn’t as relatable by making the characters animals that are already naturally very crafty and fit the heist theme. Imagine a mink flapper in a speakeasy, a badger mafia boss, a fox police officer, a mole hacker. It’s way more interesting than regular people, isn’t it? These animal characters add to the thematic definition of the player roles as well – a fox is witty and cunning, a badger is dangerous and stout, a mole is good at digging around (in files).
Emotions
Did you guess my emotions after all that? Let’s see…
If you sensed (1) vintage jazzy vibes, (2) heist-y gangster crime moods, and/or (3) a little bit of gentleness and old school charm, I did my job.
Image generated with Gemini
