Ideas Self Study

Game Ideas

This is part of self-study 4 and uploaded out of sequence, however I'm behind on this portfolio so I'm jumping ahead to upload this now because I already have a group to work with and I've already been generating a bunch of ideas.

The theme behind these ideas is CHANGE.

Bouncing Bowman

A side scrolling platformer where your only method of movement is firing various arrows using a bow. The game is about CHANGING arrow types to suit new situations presented in the levels. The character is a physics driven object.

• Regular arrows will provide a consistent kickback in the opposite direction that it was fired, acting as a directional jump of sorts. A second arrow can be fired while in midair (regular or otherwise), but after that the player must land on the ground to shoot more.
• Heavy arrows are made of thick steel and include a rope tied to it's back end, that also ties around the characters waist. Firing this arrow will cause it to pull the player along for the ride through the air. This arrow allows for more controlled jump power compared to regular arrows (by drawing the arrow further back for longer travel distance), but is more chaotic as the player has room to flail around in the breeze. The rope tying the player to the arrow can be cut with a key press to "eject" from flight.
• Grappling arrows will stick into the first surface they hit and reel the player in until the player reaches the arrow.

A puzzle element of the game can be introduced by laying a level ahead of the player and only supplying them with a limited number of each arrow.

This game would be oriented mostly around satisfying physics-oriented gameplay with hints of puzzles and challenges and would mostly appeal to a casual audience of all ages but younger people would be more drawn to it. I would target a broad rating similar to Nintendo, and would avoid a clashing with a horror theme or grim setting. The gameplay is light-hearted and goofy and the atmosphere should match.

Gem Weapons - working title

Fast-paced movement FPS in a similar style to Doom 2016. You're an automaton in a fantasy steampunk world that can harness destructive power of gemstones to defeat enemies. The gems are dual-wielded by slotting into both of your hands and act as spell-casting weapons. Gems can cast shotgun blasts (emerald), railgun shots (topaz), crowd control effects (amethyst), a melee weapon (sapphire), and self-buffs (ruby).

Gems rapidly lose durability with each use (whether or not they land their hit), so the player's fighting style will be constantly CHANGING as they cycle through the gems that are found in the level. Enemies may rarely drop gems on death. Variety will come from the potential combinations available through dual-wielding.

Each gem has a powerful ability based on its regular attack that uses more durability but has stronger effects. Abilities have a cooldown.

Target audience is action and fps players, and this game also has potential to exclude mature themes in order to be appropriate for a broader audience. The goal of this prototype would be smooth gameplay and a well-designed set of weapons that complement each other, and to make the constant changing of weapons feel meaningful. Durability should be precious but not unfairly punishing. Enemy Ai and visuals (for the most part) are less important, and the game needs no narrative.