Games Design Document
Game name: [Calamity Withstanding]
Logline
Abandoned and limbless, he will overcome anything to retrieve them.
Synapsis
A sci-fi survival indie video game that focusses on the limitations and possibilities of having detachable limbs. Find new ways to move what is left of your body after Drystan’s limbs were stolen and overcome obstacles and dangers to retrieve them. First, you must implement the synthetic limbs you locate and escape the warehouse where you first woke up and eventually you will reach the thief and be whole again.
| Target Audience | Target Platforms |
| – Indie game fans – Age 8-40 – Non-specific gender | – Mobile – Windows – PCSteam – Mac PC |
Story
In a futuristic world where you can choose to sell your limbs and become one of the ‘detached’, someone stole all Drystan’s (Welsh name meaning full of sorrow) limbs leaving him with only his head, neck and torso. He is left unconscious, revengeful, and determined to take back what is his, despite the disadvantage he now will face. His thief has made the path to follow him difficult and full of obstacles. Another strong motivation to reach his enemy is that within this world the crime/tragedy that befell him is common. Low-class people are often taken advantage of in this way, Drystan wants to prevent this from happening to anyone else.
Description of gameplay
The objective of the game is to overcome dangers within the tasks and progress to the next level. To do this, the player must collect required items hidden within the warehouse and within the tasks. In doing this you will be able to attach weapons, a shield, or synthetic limbs, allowing you to move better and complete certain tasks. The audience is supposed to feel as though this is all unfair on Drystan by the Antagonist’s sordid act. To emphasis this, the antagonist leaves writing on the wall for Drystan saying things like: “Thanks for your body!” and Good luck finding me now”.
Setting and Culture
Interior warehouse: dark and gloomy, dusty (like Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate factories but more metal than wood). Brick walls with metal frame and pillars for structure. The only natural light source is the skylights. The doors are chained shut. There is a non-natural light source: hanging light bulbs. The floor will either be brown old wooden floorboards or bear concrete.
Tasks
1st task: Set of Cupboards
A few rows of locked cupboards are before you. You must obtain useful contents and avoid their dangers. They won’t open that easily and some may not contain anything. They will only open in a sequence, for example, the 5th, 9th and 12th cupboard. This sequence will change after you have opened one.
2nd task: Hanging Rope
Numerous high up hanging ropes are collected in a group from a platform above. The floor beneath these ropes is raised with a few stairs (so you need at least a leg and arm to get to the task). The collectable items and dangers on the platform are not visible to the player. You must have collected enough limbs to be able to reach and pull even the heaviest of the ropes (range of different limbs required to pull at different heights and weights). There may be dangers such as falling heavy objects but there may also be items that will be useful to you such as more limbs, weapons, or a shield to protect yourself from dangers. Some ropes may be tied to the floor and require a blade to be cut and pulled.
3rd task/ exit: Lift and scale
The point of escape requires the player to have collected every object, that you are able to pick up from the environment and place them on a scale. Release the lever before this point and you will forfeit your chance at escape since the lift will not be raised height enough without enough weight. This may require you to sacrifice some of your own attached body parts (if you have destroyed too many in the tasks then you will fail).
Rules of gameplay:
- The player can attach and a number of limbs to any attachable place on their body.
- The attachable places are only where the legs and arms would go.
- The player can attach an implement (sickle or shield) anywhere on the end of the character’s body (in place of hand or foot)
- If a grenade is about to go off, then the clip will fly in the general player’s direction as a warning. If you do not have enough limbs to move fast enough you will die or destroy limbs.
- If a heavy object falls on you, you will die or perhaps only destroy limbs.
- You must be tall enough (have enough limbs attached to be able to pull and grab objects such as the cupboards and rope).
- You can move if you have only one limb attached.
- You can still walk with no hands or feet.
- The more limbs in the right places you have the faster you will move.
- An extra-long arm, for example, will trail behind the body. So, if a reaction time is too slow it will be blown off by a grenade.
Objects list to model:
- Sickle
- Grenade
- Ropes
- Platforms (and stairs) beneath and above ropes
- Warehouse
- Warehouse doors
- Lock and chain on warehouse doors.
- 1-3 differently positioned models with a different number of limbs.
- Cupboards and the thing holding the cupboards up.
- Hanging light bulbs
- Shield (optional)
- Lift/scale and pully system
Initial concept ideas
What will my end product be:
- A fully modelled and textured character.
- Fully modelled and textured hazards/ other objects that the environment will contain.
- Fully modelled and textured environment.
- Each of these^ will be displayed in a run-through video lasting about 3-5 minutes (will test timing with proof of concept. Within this video, I will have placed all of my models on plinths and tasks in their place, within the environment. These will be transferred into the Unreal Engine, and I will have a default human model exploring everything as though it were the player. Look but don’t touch is the rule, as making the tasks interactive would be a whole task altogether, however, I may apply some animations to the tasks objects, such influencing the rope with the wind so that it sways slightly.