Darkness Rising: Initial Concepting

Game Title: Darkness Rising

April 3, 2021

OVERVIEW

One Sentence Slam Dunk

In Darkness Rising, Players under pressure of falling ascend via jumping/parkour through a tower-like level environment in order to reach sources of magic, escaping from the mysteriously rising dark matter that is slowly rising after them from below.

Game Vision

Darkness Rising is a 3^rd person platformer, but I would describe it as more of a parkour game than anything. The main mechanic besides basic forward/back/left/right movement is jumping. The overall goal for players is to, as a rolling/bouncing ball of light, ascend the tower-like environment that they are placed in as to reach magic at the top… however, there is a catch. Yes, there are obstacles in the form of various items the player will be jumping on top of to navigate the environment, but there is an additional obstacle of time. As a player is navigating the environment, they will be under the pressure of the magic’s enemy… a mysterious shroud of darkness that is also moving upward from below.

Narratively, the darkness is growing… with a goal of enveloping anything it touches, but more specifically, devouring the magic at the top of the environment. It is the player’s job to prevent this from happening, which will be accomplished by reaching the magic themselves before the darkness that is ascending behind them from below. Notably, the player themselves being absorbed by the darkness is an instant lose condition.

The gameplay of this experience is meant to be stressful, yet exciting. As a result of the game’s nature, banking on players either winning or losing, with no in-between and no checkpoint system, the player’s objective will be getting as far as they can each play-attempt they pursue, trying to get farther than they had the time before until they reach the ultimate objective, which is, as previously mentioned, the magic at the top. The game itself does not have win conditions attached to points, however certain steps in the path to the top will be paired with point adders, so that players can keep track of their distance climbed in easy-to-remember numerical terms.

Game Audience

Who is this game designed for?  Who is going to buy this game?  Who is going play this game?  How old is he?  What game systems does he own?  What other games does he play?  Is he even a he… or is he a she?  Who will playtest the game during development?

GAME DESIGN

Game Scope

Speaking in terms of scope, this game is not very large. It is a simple general design, which can be easily expanded upon as necessary. There is one level, however, ideally, the level will be long. The idea is that, similar to games like temple run, the player progresses through the level as the obstacles grow in speed and difficulty. This game is different in that players are in control of their own personal speed, and that there is an actual win condition to this game, meaning there is a maximum distance a player can ascend before winning the game, however it is different in that the largest obstacle of the game is following the player. They are not running towards the main obstacle. The game is single player, however it is encouraged to be played with company, as players can switch off, trying to beat the player next to them’s score/ascended distance. I’m trying to make a simple, yet nicely polished, possibly cartoony kind of game. In terms of budget, this game is a cake walk. It only requires unity to make and sounds for its gameplay would be simple enough to find on free-to-use domains of the internet. However, notably, This game would be incredibly easy to make DLC for, as there could easily be multiple levels implemented. It would be fun and fairly simple to transfer the basic mechanics of the game to different, unique environments with different specifications for the shape and speed at which the darkness grows, without stretching the game from its original concept. (It’s actually kind of refreshing, thinking about it). This game is very balanced in its dev-plan and is simple enough mechanic-wise for me to make it myself.

Core Mechanics

What are the 2-to-4 most common actions that players perform in this game?  List the mechanics in order of importance.  Core mechanic #1 is what the players do the most, with core mechanic #6 being the action that the players do the least.  Detail how players performs these actions and how these actions support the theme of the game.  The core mechanics should have a variety of play-styles (they should not all be variants on shooting, for example)

The only real mechanic outside of basic left/right/forward/back movement is the “bounce” mechanic for the ball of light that the player is controlling, which functions exactly the same as jumps in other basic platformers. However, notably, I may implement it as a double jump.

Stretch Goal: if I have enough time, I plan to implement a teleport mechanic using invisible checkpoints. Ultimately, It’s a one-off, so it incorporates a little bit of a life-system if the player acts quick enough while they are falling before they hit the darkness (in the occasion that they miss a jump) The idea is that every 5 or so jumps, there would be a checkpoint, and if the player presses the “Q” key, they would be teleported to the last checkpoint they hit, meaning they can save themselves ONE time from falling.

Stretch Goal: if I have enough time, I plan to implement a light-beam ‘shooting’ mechanic, in which the player can shoot a thin line of light from within their light-ball character to interact with obstacles in the environment. Ultimately, I may make it so that, using raycasting, the light can push certain objects, or break certain objects, however, again, that would be more of a stretch goal, because coding is not my specialty, and I would not want to bite on more than I can chew. It’s a goal, but not a requirement, if that makes sense. If anything, this mechanic may be DLC worthy.

Secondary Mechanics

Stretch Goal: if I have enough time, I plan to implement a color customization option in the game’s start menu that allows the player to choose the color of their light orb (they would be able to change it from the typical yellow-white to either blue, red, green, pink, purple, orange, or green).

Stretch Goal: if I have enough time, I plan to implement a “Challenge” mode option in the start menu, allowing players that change the Camera mode from the game’s default 3^rd person to 1^st person, meaning you are viewing the environment from the ball itself, rather than a space above it.

Metagame

As the player progresses through the vertical environment, getting further and further, the darkness growing beneath them increases its speed. Narratively, the darkness is consciously realizing that the player is getting closer to the objective, thus becoming more desperate to stop the player from reaching the magic before it does, however mechanically, it is meant to put more pressure on the player in navigating the parkour-environment, forcing them to move up it quicker as time goes on.

Likewise, as the player progresses through the vertical environment there is a score mechanic in the top corner of the screen. This score has no real baring on the gameplay itself, nor does it contribute to a win or lose condition; however, it does give the player an ability to track their progress in attempting to beat the game itself. They can compete with themselves to beat their “high score,” or compete against players they are trading turns with to get further than each other.

Ultimately, the types of objects the player is jumping on will become harder to navigate and be farther apart/harder to jump between as the player progresses up the tower. Paired with the increasing speed of the darkness below, and the possible beam shooting mechanic that may add a bit more variety to the game’s dynamic interactions, it would 100% ramp up the challenge for players as they get further and further into the heights of the environment.

Narratively, the entire game revolves around ascending environments through parkour, so the objective at the top, as well as the path to get there, and the obstacles presented to make it harder to reach that location contribute to the idea that game is indeed a plot of “darkness rising.” The player’s objective is to prevent it/stop it. It’s good. 

Art Direction

Art Style

The game will follow a three-dimensional, rather cartoony aesthetic. It’s very vertically oriented, and the gameplay contributes largely to that. Visually, I want to base the color palette around vibrancy and the lack of it thereof. Specifically, the darkness itself, I want to feel almost like a liquid void, devoid of any light, like it in itself is not “darkness,” per say, as the name suggests, but a more inky black, so to speak.

The character the player is controlling is a ball of light, colored a luminescent white-yellow.

The environment is a vertical, tower-like environment, filled with variously shaped polygonal objects that the player will be using to climb upward toward the objective at the top.

I wouldn’t say this game is a concept that players have never seen before in some form, but I would say that it’s a concept they have not played in a capacity that is a game of its own volition. I have seen mini-games similar to this in premature forms within the confines of pre-existing larger games that allow its base to create unique maps to play on, however I have not seen it as a stand alone existing by itself, for itself… standing on its own two feet as a player experience before, and that makes me excited to create it the way I am envisioning it.

This game does NOT look like a parkour simulator. Yes, the game incorporates parkour elements, as the player is navigating via a jump mechanic, however parkour in of itself is a much more complex athletic endeavor than what I am creating. Parkour incorporates specific movements and particular types of acrobatics that will simply not be present within the game I am creating. This is a game that is mainly simple jumping, with a side of ball-rolling.

Art Example

I don’t have a particular art piece on hand that shows the game in a way that would sell it at the moment, as this is a game that, like I was saying earlier, doesn’t have much tangible president that I’ve seen really, but in place of it, I’ve made a small collage to show the muted and vibrant color palettes, as well as some of the kinds of objects that will be in the game, as well as some inspiration for what the “Inky Darkness” will look like, and a rendition in the vein of the white-yellow light orb that will serve as the player’s character.

If I actually had a picture, it would be a 2D rendition of the 3D environment that will serve as the play area. A small area like an arcade poster a little bit, showcasing the splashing liquidy darkness at the bottom of the image, with some obstacles that the light orb is in the midst jumping across with some cartoony motion-lines behind it in the air to show that it’s moving. Then at the top of the 2D tower (in its poster form) there would be a cartoony rendition of the win objective. (I haven’t decided what I will want that to look like, so forgive me but I do not have an inspirational reference for that as of yet. 

Technology

Core Relevance and Competencies

My game won’t require any additional or experimental technologies to operate. It is fairly technologically simplistic, and well within the range of typical coding logic to be created.

Technology Scope

Ultimately, I tailored my game to fit inside all of the skills that I already possess for the most part. I thought through the coding logic of interactions, and how I would want to work certain mechanics into the game, whether it be via animations or coding scripts. Ambition-wise, it presents me with a fantastic exercise to apply my skills in a sort of “test” scenario, to see what I can really do with what I’ve learned, while also staying within a level of work-load that will allow me time to adequately plan, study, experiment if needed, and execute bug fixes without having to allocate to much time to negative dev practices like crunch (hopefully). I don’t think that in terms of making an actual fully fledged game, that this has been done explicitly in this sort of fashion before now, however rather simplistic iterations of the concept within pre-existing games in the form of “mini-games” before. The focus of this game’s technology is primarily directed towards player mentality and in-game behavior, as most of the game objects the player would be interacting with are meant to push the player to act a certain way and, at times, a certain speed. I wouldn’t say there are any particularly visuals that are focused on through the technologies other than maybe an added feeling of anxiety inspired by the animation of the rising darkness itself.

Technology Stretch Goals and Vision

In answering the question, Will technology be pushed and enhanced for this title to do something we’ve not seen before, I’m honestly unsure. I think the elements of what I’m doing, people have seen before. They have, without a doubt, be it in the cinematics of television or in the excitement of water flooding into a video game environment. However, I don’t think people have played many games that have a focus solely on this concept as a basis for the gameplay overall. That, I believe is somewhat unique.

THEME

Story, Characters, and Setting

What makes up the universe of this game in its primal form is the interior of a vertical shaft, to be blunt. Unless I add extra levels as DLC, it will remain as such, however, ultimately there are two entities at odds within the game itself. There is the player, the ball of light, and the darkness, both of which are pursuing a goal of gaining a magic objective at the top of said shaft, and honestly, a shaft is all that’s needed for the game’s setting as it is now. If I were to make DLC, I would create more environments, be it caverns, floating environments in the sky, cliffs, trees within the jungle etcetera, but as of now, the game is a simple interior of a tower-like structure. A simple vertical shaft, with the path of ascension (or lack thereof) being the game’s main push towards a win or losing scenario. The characters themselves (being the light ball and the darkness itself) create the narrative of the game itself. Without those two components, the game has no real forced direction, I think. Similarly, the vertical shaft provides an opportunity for the two entities to combat one another in a rather head-on scenario. The goal of the magic at the top pits the two entities against one another, which provides the narrative context for the gameplay being exhibited on screen.

Closing Summary

Goals

Truthfully, the overall goal in making this game is creating a gameplay experience that I would want to play myself, that could hold my attention for decent periods of time. I figure, if I’m making a game that I would enjoy, as the super picky type of player that I am, others would hopefully enjoy it too. I’ve made a more artistic game already in a previous class, and now I feel that it’s time for me to make a GAME! Truthfully, it was pretty hard for me to find a game concept that I would genuinely want to pursue myself with my currently held skillsets. But when my brain stumbled upon this beauty of an idea, I just knew I had to do it. It just felt right, writing all this down. It is easy to visualize in my head, and straight forward with how I figured I would want to go about animating and scripting it. It follows logic that doesn’t take too many twists or turns, and that feels really good. It’s incredibly refreshing, and so I’m confident in my ability to lay down a plan for how I’m going to tackle making it, as well as my ability to dive into Unity and actually build it out. As far as measuring the success in reaching my goal of finishing this game goes, I think if I enjoy playing it when I’m done and there aren’t any game breaking bugs, I will have met the requirements for the goal. If I’ve moved onto stretch goals by the time it’s time to wrap up the game’s development, I believe I will have exceeded my goals for the project… which would feel really good, knowing I designed and built it myself.