Day 21 of
National Game Writing Month! These game concepts are silly one-offs that
will never be considered for production. If you’re inspired by one,
feel free to use it, but it would be nice if you told me!
This is a game about friendship; that is its central narrative conceit and gameplay mechanic. And I could not think of a mildly witty name today.
Playing out like a 2D platformer, the player controls a circle. The player can customize the size or color of their circle in anyway they want, but it will always be a circle. To progress to the next level the player must get not only their own circle to the exit, but they must also get square to the exit as well.
This is where the mechanics of friendship start to present themselves. The player has no direct control over their square companion. Only through communication, persuasion, trust and teamwork will the player be able to continue through the game. The square’s AI will be built to respond to the players actions, but always work towards self preservation and completion first. It is this contradiction that will greatly impact the player’s interactions with their friend.
If the player and their friend can stay in close enough proximity to each other for an allotted amount of time, they will become invincible for a short while. The power of friendship allows us to surpass obstacles that otherwise would ruin us. But, on the flip side of that if the player and their friend are separated for too long it will begin to negatively affect their abilities.
The first levels are structured to reflect the process of friendship and how it develops. At first their is little interaction between the player and the square as they have no connection. The next level brings them closer through circumstance and in level three the friendship gameplay mechanics open up representing the birth of this connection.
Levels afterward are structured to represent differing elements of a friendship. Levels designed with communication, trust, strength and competition are in this section. There will also be levels designed to weaken the player creating the need for this companionship. But not everything is nice and dandy either. Arguments, distrust, pain, and fights are common to friendships as well and they get their equal representation in the game as well.
Want to do your own NaGaWriMo? It’s fine if you start late. It’s a made-up challenge. Write a good one and include the hash-tag!
This is a game about friendship; that is its central narrative conceit and gameplay mechanic. And I could not think of a mildly witty name today.
Playing out like a 2D platformer, the player controls a circle. The player can customize the size or color of their circle in anyway they want, but it will always be a circle. To progress to the next level the player must get not only their own circle to the exit, but they must also get square to the exit as well.
This is where the mechanics of friendship start to present themselves. The player has no direct control over their square companion. Only through communication, persuasion, trust and teamwork will the player be able to continue through the game. The square’s AI will be built to respond to the players actions, but always work towards self preservation and completion first. It is this contradiction that will greatly impact the player’s interactions with their friend.
If the player and their friend can stay in close enough proximity to each other for an allotted amount of time, they will become invincible for a short while. The power of friendship allows us to surpass obstacles that otherwise would ruin us. But, on the flip side of that if the player and their friend are separated for too long it will begin to negatively affect their abilities.
The first levels are structured to reflect the process of friendship and how it develops. At first their is little interaction between the player and the square as they have no connection. The next level brings them closer through circumstance and in level three the friendship gameplay mechanics open up representing the birth of this connection.
Levels afterward are structured to represent differing elements of a friendship. Levels designed with communication, trust, strength and competition are in this section. There will also be levels designed to weaken the player creating the need for this companionship. But not everything is nice and dandy either. Arguments, distrust, pain, and fights are common to friendships as well and they get their equal representation in the game as well.
Want to do your own NaGaWriMo? It’s fine if you start late. It’s a made-up challenge. Write a good one and include the hash-tag!
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