Moodboard
Playlist
Idea 1
- Theme: Secret Base, Time Capsule, Childhood Friends
- Story: The player returns alone to their hometown village to search for their childhood secret base—a dilapidated boat in the forest. They find a time capsule inside the base, and through the objects within, the player recalls their childhood (game scene transitions). At first, there are happy memories of the kids together. Later, due to certain events, their friendship breaks apart. They had promised to return in ten years to open the time capsule, but only the protagonist came back, leaving them feeling lonely and sorrowful. In the ending, the player discovers the truth behind the past events and resolves their inner turmoil. It turns out the other friends didn’t break their promise; they actually returned earlier and secretly prepared a welcome ceremony for the player.
- Narrative: Embedded, Enacting
- Art Style: Low poly / Pixel art, Rural scenery (similar to Stardew Valley, A Short Hike)
- Gameplay: Similar to To the Moon (2D, top-down view, walking simulator, puzzle-solving); or Rusty Lake (point-and-click puzzle-solving, no movement).
Idea 2
- Theme: Missing Person
- Story: A boy has gone missing. The player investigates his room, PC, journal and other belongings to uncover the truth behind his disappearance. During the investigation, it is gradually revealed that the boy has a physical disability in his legs, but has a dream of climbing a mountain. On social media, his final post was: “I wish I were a bird.”
- Narrative: Embedded
- Gameplay: Similar to Marie’s Room and What Remains of Edith Finch (environmental storytelling through room furnishings) and Rusty Lake (point-and-click). The investigation aspects can reference the game Replica (Mobile), The Diary (Journal).
Idea 3
- Theme: Family History
- Story: It could be historical fiction (similar to One Hundred Years of Solitude) or magical fantasy (a family of mages fighting demons?). The history of Stanford…
- Gameplay: Reference Reigns. The only core gameplay loop is making choices. Each choice affects four attributes, and different events are triggered based on the status of these attributes. This can generate numerous narrative combinations with a fast pace, encouraging high replayability.
- Narrative: Emergent, Embedded
