A puzzle game focused on feeling

Synopsis

A room based puzzle game following a routine that 2 characters the player control follows. The game follows a multi day process in which the player is meant to at first have fun with the challenge of the game and work through the puzzles, this is accompanied by character interactions to flesh out the characters relationships and bond. Then there will be a period of “grind” where the player is meant to feel bored for a short time, before a large shift will occur breaking the boredom and bringing the challenge back. This shift will be centered around the end of day puzzle. The puzzle will use some resource to complete, but that resource will run out.  It will be framed as something similar to rent, or something equally taxing that is often required. Then once the resource has ran out, a character is needed to complete the puzzle. However the character does not reappear the next day, but there is a bit more of the resource. After completeing the puzzles with a new challenge of being alone, along with new character interactions to show how losing their companion affected them, it will establish a second shorter status quo of the same process being done repeatedly. It will be cut by the rising undertone of tension of what will happen when the resource runs out again. Once it does the final puzzle will be reconizable but mostly different with there being a way to solve it involving sacrficing the last player ending the game, or a second completion that doesnt require a sacrifice and gets a number more of the resource. This wont change any of the puzzles otherwise, and will just keep them stuck in the same monotonous loop. There can be themes of distortion and “wrong” change to the world as the days stretch on making it more and more apperent the agony of the remaining character.

Tones

Monotony:

A major part of the image of the game is sections that are designed to make the player feel dull, hopefully doing it for just short enough a time to evoke the emotion but not demotivate the player to continue playing. Character interactions will vary along with some other things to hopefully allow this game to toe the line between unfun, and meaningfully boring. The characters mood could also affect what they are willing to do within puzzles, forcing the player to innovate and do the puzzles with interesting restrictions to keep them engaged.

Discomfort:

The characters will start off more upbeat and positive before turning to more and more negative interactions as the resource becomes more and more scarce. Then once alone the final character will be absolutely misreable for a day then they will fall into a doldrum where they just go about their days with little energy to have a positive outlook. Each day is meant to be difficult for the character the player is controlling.

Wrongness:

As each day goes on, the spaces that the characters control and take care of get more cluttered. They become less taken care of, the appearences of the characters becomes less maintained(if we have the art for it). This is compounded by changes that arent related to what the characters can control, and dont exactly seem correct. A skyline out a window shifting, static on a TV changing tone or visuals, minor changes to the enviroment to work on unsettling the player to get them more into the characters mindset.

Setting

The main characters will be in a poorly maintained superstructure built for affordable housing within a dystopian cyberpunk world.

Gameplay

The plan is an isometric room based puzzle game where the character controls 2 characters. They control one at a time and when they arent controlling one the other will stand in place idling. The 2 characters will have the same capabilities, and the puzzles will generally rely upon using both to solve puzzles. It will be Portal like where the player must complete a room to move onto the next one. When there is one character, they will be willing to take actions they wouldn’t before due to them wanting to work with their partner or just not caring to keep themselves from doing things considered rude. During the monotonous parts there will be different restrictions placed on the player each day in order to spice up the puzzles. The main challenge of the game is to find new ways to look at things that you have seen many times before, there could even be character interactions where they are unwilling to use a solution that has been used too many times before in a puzzle as they are growing bored of doing it like that.

Challenges

Balance

Trying to balance a part of our game invoking boredom but not going overboard and making people stop playing will be incredibly difficult to get correct.

Emotion and Story

Details of the story will not be outright addressed to the player in almost all situation. The story will be in character interactions and the spaces they move through along with the content of the puzzles which will be themed around parts of thier daily lives. Then it will be the application of how the player feels onto the story to match the characters and flesh out the players understanding of the story. This will be a challenge as evoking emotion with a game does work, I don’t think that our game could ensure that a player feels a certain way about the game and story at any given point. The process of working to cultivate that emotion in a player is crucial but never guaranteed. This will be a struggle with making our game, as without the proper frame of reference with emotion in mind the story might slip by or not land as impactfully.

Art

Getting proper music, and visuals will be necessary for a proper pulling off of this concept. Getting one version of the characters, puzzles and enviroment will be a challenge let along getting versions to signify the change in the characters and enviroment.

Challenge

Getting a repeat of the same foundation of puzzles many time in a row will make the process of getting days to be at least a little enjoyable by the player beyond the first day a bit difficult. Proper challenge in a puzzle game is pretty much required as far as I can tell, and it will take some work to figure this part of our game out.

Intended Audience

The intended audience is people 17+

Generally we want them to be able to analyze a situation and glean details not told to them to put together a story, show don’t tell is great as long as the person you are showing can see. Familiarity with puzzle games isnt needed but an interest almost is. The ability to look at something you have seen before and see something new is a skill that this game will exersise simply due to its concept.

Appendix

Cameron’s Individual Concept Doc

Willow’s Individual Concept Doc

Benjamin’s Individual Concept Doc

Gavin’s Individual Concept Doc