Game Design Document Outline

• Game Overview
  • Game Concept
  • Genre
  • Target Audience
  • Game Flow Summary
  • Look and Feel
• Gameplay and  Mechanics
  • Gameplay
    • Game Progression
    • Mission/challenge Structure
    • Puzzle Structure
    • Objectives
    • Play Flow
  • Mechanics
    • Physics
    • Movement in the game
    • Objects
    • Actions
    • Combat
    • Economy
    • Screen Flow
  • Game Options
  • Replaying and Saving
• Story, Setting and Character 
  • Story and Narrative
  • Game World
    • General look and feel of world
    • Areas
  • Characters
• Levels
  • Training Level
• Interface
  • Visual System
  • Control System
  • Audio, music, sound effects
  • Help System
• Artificial Intelligence
  • Opponent  and Enemy AI 
• Technical
  • Target Hardware
  • Development hardware and software, including Game Engine

1. SKYSCRAPPER

1.1 GAME CONCEPT

Skyscrapper will be played as a fast paced top-down shooter packed with action. Gameplay will be fluid and focused on making cool combos without breaking the flow, using environmental mechanics. 

1.2 GAME GENRE – Top-down action shooter

1.3 TARGET AUDIENCE

Target audience for the game is players that are interested in shooter games like “Hatred” and “Hotline Miami”. Some rougelite players could be interested in the fast paced combat the game serves. Ages groups between 13-35 will be the main target since gameplay is fast and requires reflexive reaction and a control over mechanics.

1.4 GAME FLOW

Gameplay will flow as level by level, checkpoints will save progress at the end of each level. Levels will be played for 5-7 minutes per level. Levels will be grouped in as different areas and each different area will offer new mechanics for the players. First levels of each area will act as tutorials and it will get more difficult until the last level of an area, every last level will have a thematic boss fight.

1.5 LOOK AND FEEL

Game has 3D models but played on a 2D plane (2,5D gameplay). General look is less realistic and more stylized with celshaded graphics. There will be optional blood and explosion effects to increase action feel.  With usage of particle effects, the explosive, fast paced game will be backed. There will be cutscene shorts for special kills to reward the player with close shots.

2. GAMEPLAY AND MECHANICS

2.1 Gameplay

Gameplay is focused on creating a fun, non-serious, action-filled experience for the players. Game will reward quick usage of mechanics with small finisher cutscenes, combo effects and screen changes. With new mechanics added during progression, gameplay will have a big variety choices for player to clear levels intheir own way.

2.1.1 Game Progression

Game will progress level by level. Level groups are divided by themed areas. (Lobby, office, cargo bay, lab etc.) Each area will enhance the gameplay with new mechanics added into the mix. There is no skill progression or level system, instead variety of mechanics increasing will serve as a character progression.

2.1.2 Mission/challenge Structure

Main challenge will be completing each level in perfection without taking any damage. Besides certain mechanics, most of the time player will lose if they get hit once so planning how to use their environment and mechanics, then executing everything in quick succession will be necessary. This will create a kind of puzzle feeling. However this puzzle-like levels can be completed in tons of different ways, especially after new mechanics added. (As a reference we can look at Hotline Miami’s gameplay)

2.1.3 Puzzle Structure

Main puzzle structure/obstacles in levels are enemy types and environmental restrictions. Player will have to adapt to these obstacles by mastering mechanics. There are many ways to clear a level but also many ways to lose.

2.1.4 Objectives

General objective of the game is clearing each level and reaching the end. Construction is made as a skyscraper and player is climbing the tower. There aren’t side quests but completion of each level will give you a scoring that you can try to best later on.

2.1.5 Play Flow

Play flow starts with a tutorial level to introduce new mechanics in the first levels of each area. From there difficulty will be building up. End level of each area will have a thematic boss to create the climax of the flow.

2.2 Mechanics

Mechanics will be based on mainly environmental interactions for finishers. Also some additions during the progression will add mobility to the character and from time to time it will change some rules, like for example; finding a flak jacket may give you an extra chance when hit. Main mechanics are shooting your gun in two modes, shotgun; spread shot better against multiple targets, slug mode; single fast bullet. Shotgun mode launches players with a force that kills enemies with the player’s back. Slug mode bullets ricochet from metal walls, allowing players to kill enemies in different angles. Other than these there are environmental mechanics. Destructible objects can be crashed, causing nearby enemies to get stunned, there are automated props like a dog cage or turrets that will kill the closest enemy when triggered. There will also be objects that can be launched to finish off enemies. These will all come in different varieties.

2.2.1 Physics

Physics are applied in a 2D environment. On an XY plane, general physics won’t show gravity since it is a top down game. There will be richochet mechanics where objects bounce from the walls and characters will move pretty quick. Also some objects get splintered in pieces when shot.

2.2.2 Movement in the game

Movement in general will be really fluid and fast-paced. Also shooting will have a recoil which will be used as a mobility trick.

2.2.3 Objects

Objects in the environment will be interactable but not pickable. They will be affected by your actions and some will be used for putting down enemies. Also guns will drop from enemies that you can shot without reload, but in the end you gotta throw it which makes you vulnarable after having the advantage.

2.2.4 Actions

 Main interaction action is shooting at objects.Player does every action via shooting. Also as an extra there is a kick mechanic for close combat last resort.

2.2.5 Combat

 Main combat will have the player avoid any and all attacks since they will result in direct failure or put down the enemy before they have the chance of attacking. Player will have a shotgun to shoot and with its recoil they will be thrown backwards. If they clash with another enemy while they are thrown by the recoil, those enemise will be defeated too. Player will use environmental mechanics to get an advantage, such as ricochet bullets, triggerable objects, destroying destructable objects.

2.2.6 Economy

Main economy is usage of environmental objects properly, not to run out of options to take out the enemies is the most important part for the planning. There is a reload time with our own gun so you can not shoot continuously.

2.2.7 Screen Flow

Main screen will be 3D models on a 2D plane. There will be effects to keep player in the flow and their attention on screen. During finisher cutscenes, screen will change to a cinematic view to show a more immersive and rewarding angle. There are also pause menu button, gun mode indicator and quick tips on the screen.

2.3 Game Options

Player can change any visual options such as resolution. Audio is also adjustable. There are keybinding options too for various play styles.

2.4 Replaying and Saving

Saving will work for each level, since levels are fast-paced and not too layered there won’t be mid-level saving. For replayability, each level will have a scoring depending on clear time and combos, players can try to best their scores later on for achievements.

3. STORY, SETTING AND NARRATIVE

Note: Story is not the main focus for the game so it won’t be focused mainly.

Main story revolves around our war veteran character. He lives in an apartment and a skyscraper built in front of his building blocks his view and at night blinds him with lights. Out of anger he grabs his cat on his backpack, gets his gun and goes to the building to purge them out.

3.1. Story and Narrative

General narrative will be given with character dialogues between bosses and the player. These will appear on the bottom of the screen. Also small quips and jokes will give some more context during the gameplay.

3.2. Game World

Game world is a variant of our own world. Nothing is too different but everything is less serious and more silly. Also rather than a realistic look it will be more stylized, comic like syle will be added with celshaded graphics.

3.2.1. General look and feel of world

A little cartoonish and stylized world will be our focus to achieve. This will help to make seem less serious and more fun. Fitting for an absurd story, and it enables more joking around. Also it will make the action less graphical. Also player will see outside as they go higher the city and other buildings will be more obvious, giving the player the climbing feel.

3.2.2. Areas

Each area will consist of floor groups in the building. They will all be different departments with distinctive themes. First level is lobby, then we enter office department. After that there will be, cargo department, lab department, accounting department, and penthouse part with final boss.

3.3. Characters

Main character and bosses will be the actual characters with a story. They will be the main roles. For expamle; first boss will have a shield and needs to be hit from behind three times, player will use ricochet bullets for this which is a main mechanic for the first area. Rest of the enemies will be characterized according to their types. There will be different types of enemies, like ranged melee, shielded etc.

4. LEVELS

There will be 5 level in each area with 5 areas. Makin 25 levels in total. Also each area has a boss level meaning 5 boss levels.

4.1. Training Level

Lobby floor is the main tutorial level showing main mechanics to the player. Any level that introduces a new mechanic will have a tutorial too.

5. INTERFACE

5.1. Visual System

Our HUD has player’s crosshair, pause menu button, gun mode indicator, tips box (that will only show for 5 seconds in the beginning) and a combo meter

5.2. Control System

Main set controls are W,A,S,D keys for movement, mouse movement for rotation, Left mouse button for shooting, B button to change gun mode and middle mouse button for kick. These can be change from key bind settings.

5.3. Audio, music, sound effects

There will be an action music for each level, also each interaction will have their  own effects. Dying enemies, bullets and player walk will have designated effects too.

5.4. Help System

Out HUD has a small tip box for the player to remind the controls at the start of the levels.

6. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

6.1. Opponent  and Enemy AI

All enemies are coded to react to visual and sound from the player. If they lose the sight they will go to our last known location then patrol.

7. TECHNICAL

7.1. Target Hardware

Out main target hardware is pc but game can be optimized for phones too in the future. Mid to low specs will be enough to play the game, there arent high-end graphics which will make it more accessible.

7.2. Development hardware and software

Game was developed on PC machines. Used game engine is Unreal Engine 5 for a better usage of the most updated version of the Unreal Engine.

[Written by Aydın Kaan Sönmez]