1) Write a high concept statement: a few sentences that give a general flavor of the game. You can make references to other games, movies, book, or any other media if your game contains simlar characters actions or ideas.
A platforming adventure game where you explore your own psyche, trying to unravel some mystery. Takes cues from games such as Psychonauts (primary gameplay mechanic) and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (adventure), as well as films such as Inception and Shutter Island. The game would have a mysterious tone guiding the player to complete the game.
2) What is the player’s role? Is the player pretending to be someone or something, and if so what? Is there more than one? How does the player’s role help to define the gameplay?
The players goal is to find memories, and other manifestations of thought, which help them to overcome a mental roadblock. As the players progresses, the psyche presents itself in different ways.
3) Does the game have an avatar or other key character? Describe him/her/it
The avatar, as presented to the player, would be faceless, yet dynamic to the given state of the game. Since the avatar is actually the mental manifestation of itself, it changes.
4) What is the nature of the gameplay, in general terms? What kinds of challenges will the player face? What kinds of actions will the player take to overcome them?
In nature, its a platforming adventure game, with limited physical obstacles to hinder the players progress. The main obstacle lies in unlocking areas of the game world by completing puzzles, and having certain unlocks at certain times.
5) What is the player’s interaction model? Omnipresent? Through an avatar? Something else? Some combination?
The players interacts with the world as their own mental image of themselves, so by proxy, an avatar.
6) What is the game’s primary camera model? How will the player view the game’s world on the screen? Will there be more than one perspective?
The entire game will be in a 2D side view, just like Metroid and Symphony of the Night.
7) Does the game fall into an existing genre? If so, which one?
Platforming and Adventure, with Mystery as a sub-genre.
8) Is the game competitive, cooperative, team-based or single player? If multiple players are allowed are they using the same machine with separate controls or different machines over a network?
The entire game is single player.
9) Why would anyone want to play this game? Who is the game’s target audience? What characteristics distinguise them from the mass of players in general?
The game concept is the main draw, unlocking the mysteries of some characters mind should keep the player going once hooked. The target audience is gamers who grew up with, and still enjoy playing platforming games, who would respect seeing more serious themes and atmospheres in their beloved genre. This is not an entirely new twist on the genre, but it is not in the mainstream of the game development world either.
10) What machine or machines is the game intended to run on? Can it make use of or will it require any particular hardware such as dance mats or a camera?
It would be intended for play on PCs (Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux). The only hardware required would be a keyboard, mouse optional for menu interaction.
11) What is the game’s setting? Where does it take place?
The setting is the psyche of an at first unknown character. Places within this setting will be based on the thoughts that form them-- houses, streets, forests, etc. When wandering between these thoughts, the setting is a sort of "null space," populated with random fragments of thought and imagination, in an empty white space. All of this is connected together onto a single explorable world, just like Metroid.
12) Will the game be broken into levels? What might be the victory condition for a typical level?
No, the game is essentially a single level, but different parts of this world are unlocked and available to the player only after certains conditions are satisfied.
13) Does the game have a narrative or story as it goes along? Summarize the plot in a sentence or two.
Yes, the gameplay is essentially the player discovering hidden memories, which will act as the story, rewarding the player for their exploration. You explore the psyche of an unknown individual that is locked away inside of their own mind. By exploring this unknown mind, discovering and releasing dark ideas, secrets, and pent-up feelings within, you free the individual from their mind-lock, discovering that they are just a normal person.
