Pre-Production
Lou's Adventure - Platforming Game based around Assistive Mechanics for people with cognitive delays, built using the Stencyl Game Engine
Lou's Adventure
Game Design Document
Derek Sinex
University of Advancing Technology
1. Table of Contents
2. Technical Section
2.1.
PC
2.2. File & Code Naming Conventions
See Appendix 8.1. Technical
Design Document
2.2.1. Stencyl
"Stencyl isn't your
average game creation software; it's a gorgeous, intuitive toolset that
accelerates your workflow and then gets out of the way. We take care of the
essentials, so you can focus on what's important - making your game yours." - Stencyl, LLC (http://www.stencyl.com/features/)
2.3. UI/UX Conventions
See Appendix 8.1. Technical
Design Document
2.3.1. Fonts Used
TBD
2.3.2. List of GUI components and configurations
To be included in
Lou's Adventure HUD
·
Health Bar/Icons
·
Score
·
Item (such as key or laundry, etc.)
·
Idle controls
·
Highlighted controls upon player interaction
·
Highlighted controls + on-screen prompt as
assistive gameplay mechanic
·
Visual feedback on-screen prompt as
assistive gameplay mechanic
·
Audio feedback on-screen prompt as assistive
gameplay mechanic
To be included in
Lou’s Adventure UI
·
Level Select
·
Main Menu
o
Start New Game (Choose Difficulty: Super Fun
Mode, Normal
o
Load Game
o
Options (Audio, Video, etc.)
o
Quit
·
Level Win Screens
·
Level Lose Screens
3. Introduction
3.1. High Concept
Lou's Adventure: A 2D
side-scrolling platformer game based around assistive gameplay mechanics to
make gaming more accommodating for people with cognitive delays.
3.2. Game Description
3.2.1. Summary
The goal of
this project is to create video game gameplay mechanics that accommodate people
with cognitive delays more than traditional mechanics do. The team will accomplish
this by creating a user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) that actively
assists the player in completing objectives and gives real-time feedback based
on player performance.
An example of
this mechanic includes: User Interface displaying translucent controls and
glowing intractable at all times in order to assist the player. During times of
actions, the appropriate action to accomplish the task will glow on the
displayed control scheme. To further accommodate player's skill, they will be
given in-game feedback based on their performance to encourage positive
gameplay and deter from negative gameplay.
3.2.2. Genre
Lou's Adventure is a 2D
Platformer Puzzle.
3.2.3. Target Audience/Target Demographic
The target audience is adults
and children with cognitive delays.
This SIP idea
stems from experiences shared with a former colleague who works as a care-giver
for children and adults with mental delays. A large portion of his clients love
video games but in his words, “they mindlessly just push buttons while playing
games with no goal because game content is too complex for them to cognitively
understand what is going on.” These people love games and they deserve a
relevant and understandable game for them.
3.2.4.Game Flow/Pacing
The game takes a slower pace
than the usual platform to accommodate for cognitive delay.
3.2.5. Artistic Direction
The art will be done in a
cartoonish manner to reinforce the idea of the game world being inside of Lou’s
fantastical imagination.
3.2.5.1. Concept Images
3.2.6. Project Scope/Development Cycle
9 Month Development Cycle.
Number of Locations
5
Number of Levels
5
Number of NPC's
14 (tentative)
3.3. Key Features
3.3.1. Control Scheme
Arrow Keys – Movement (jump, walk right, and left)
3.3.1.1. Supporting Scheme
Player Specific Actions
Movement
Simple platformer movement of jump, fall, walk right,
and left.
Interaction
Used to interact with objectives or activate
triggers.
Combat
Super Mario “head stomping”
3.3.2. Assistive Mechanics
Gameplay
mechanics will accommodate people with cognitive delays more than traditional
mechanics do. The team will accomplish this by creating a user experience (UX)
and user interface (UI) that actively assists the player in completing
objectives and gives real-time feedback based on player performance.
3.3.2.1. Supporting Key Feature #1
Control Scheme layout displayed at all times.
3.3.2.2.
Supporting Key Feature #2
A dedicated color scheme that represents assistance
from the game; one color for what the player is doing, a different color
associated with interactables/pick-ups, a different color associated with
enemies, a different color associated with assistive pathing/mechanics.
3.3.2.3.
Supporting Key Feature #3
If the player is idle for X amount of time or cannot
solve a puzzle after X amount of time a thought bubble appears above Lou
showing what to do visually with animation as though he is thinking about what
he should actually do (in order to assist the player).
3.3.2.4.
Supporting Key Feature #4
If the player dies twice in a row in the same spot
an assistive mechanic activates i.e. showing the correct pathing to follow,
positive audio suggestion for what to do, positive text suggestion for what to
do.
3.3.3. Color Association with Specific Game Objects
Yellow – Movement hint (jump here, move there)
Blue – Interaction hint (Open this, pick up that)
Red – Hostile NPC glow
4. Background/Story
4.1. Plot Outline
The player takes control of Lou,
a young boy with an overactive imagination in their quest to help Lou finish
his chores. In the real world Lou absolutely despises doing any type of chore
so to better cope and accomplish each task; Lou imagines each scenario as a
fantastical adventure that he must endure to be victorious.
4.2. World Environment
Players will take on enemies and
puzzles in five different locations: His bedroom, bathroom, his sister’s room,
the laundry room, and his next-door-neighbor Rory’s house. Each locale contains
unique textures, enemies, and collectables for progressing through the game.
4.3. Character Bios
4.3.1. Lou
As a wide-eyed 6-8 year old, Lou’s imagination takes
over much of his life since he is tormented by his next-door neighbor and
really has no support system at home. His parents are too busy to give him the
time of day, his sister rarely talks to him anymore, and to top it all off; he
has a seemingly endless line of chores to do! Essentially, Lou sucks at life.
The only way he can get through it is to see his world as a series of
adventures that he must triumph over.
4.3.2. Rory
Rory is the crazy kid next door. He spends all of his
time tormenting everyone he meets because he feels the need to be the boss.
Years of manipulation and hyperactivity has given Rory a false sense of
superiority and no sense of sharing.
4.3.3. Janet
Janet is Lou’s older sister; 6 years his senior. Since
she grew accustomed to being the attention-centric only child before Lou came
along she has had a hard time adjusting to having a younger brother. The age
difference also puts a strain on their relationship as they have drastically
different interests. However, she saves face by being nice to her younger
brother all the while secretly loathing him. However, her parents decreasing
time and attention to either child has pushed Janet to interacting with Lou
more than she has for years.
4.3.4. Lou’s Dad
Lou’s Dad is a very job oriented person and while he
loves his family, business and work always come first. Due to this life
approach he has become extremely introverted and only finds solace in reading
news articles on his tablet while at home. Even still, all he can think about
at work or at home is the W.E.N.I.S.
4.3.5. Lou’s Mom
Mom tries to be as loving and attentive to her family as
she can. But, growing children means a growing mess. All she seems to have time
for now is struggling to keep a clean house and meals on the table. Luckily,
she has some free hands; Lou.
4.3.6. Agatha the Doll
Agatha is the leader of the ragdolls. She wears a
sun-dress. As creepy and evil looking as a cartoon doll can possibly be. Lou
projects subliminal feelings of loathing from his sister onto Agatha during the
imaginative/alternate reality levels.
4.3.7. Shirt Snake
Dirty clothes wriggle and jump around the level as
generic enemies. They attack Lou by striking at him as a snake would attack
it’s prey.
4.3.8. Toy Soldiers
Toy Soldiers in the same vein as actual toy soldiers
little kids play with. Generic enemies that march around levels and shoot at
Lou.
4.3.9. Dust Bunnies
Giant bunnies made of dust. Hop around levels as generic
enemies a-la goombas from Super Mario. Essentially the imaginative projection
of what dust bunnies would look and act like to a child told to “clean up the
dust bunnies” because “they’re taking over the house”.
4.3.10. Ragdolls
Generic Enemies. Patched together cloth ragdolls that
walk around the level and try to attack Lou when he is within melee range.
4.3.11. Soap Monster
Hulking soap bars that attempt
to crush Lou within the bathroom level.
5. Game Design
5.1. Gameplay Summary
Lou’s Adventure is an
Action-Adventure Puzzle game that takes place in an “imagination-world”
represented in a 2D pixel art side-scroller as Lou attempts to successfully
complete daily chores which present themselves as the game’s objectives.
5.1.1. Game Progression
Lou (the player) progresses through a series
of levels by walking and jumping around a series of platforms and interacting
with the world to complete “chores” or objectives. Each level contains
mobs of enemies which need to be defeated and puzzles needed to be solved in order
to progress to the next level.
5.1.2. Mission/Challenges Structure
5.1.2.1. Puzzle Structure
Puzzles progressively get harder and are
comprised of a combination of movement puzzles i.e. moving blocks out of the
way to unblock or form a new path in order to get to another part of the
level/end of the level. Collecting items, interacting with items, etc.
5.1.2.2. Objectives
Objectives depend on the level but generally
incorporate basic platforming and combat to complete.
5.1.2.3. Mission | Challenge Structure
Each level consists of an enemy mob and puzzle
equal to the level. For example: Level 1 has one mob and one puzzle that must
be completed to advance to level 2. Level 4 has four mobs and 4 puzzles that
must be solved to progress to level 5. Etc.
5.1.2.3.1. Game Flow
The game takes a slower pace
than the usual platform to accommodate for cognitive delay.
5.1.3. Controls
5.1.3.1. PC Keyboard
Arrow Keys – Movement (jump, walk right, and left)
6. Art & Graphics
6.1. Art Asset Breakdown
Asset Name
|
Priority
|
Completed?
|
Lou’s Bedroom
Background
|
High
|
Yes
|
Lou’s Bedroom
tiles
|
High
|
Yes
|
Lou’s Bedroom
Ambient assets
|
High
|
Yes
|
Lou’s
Bathroom Background
|
High
|
Yes
|
Lou’s
Bathroom tiles
|
High
|
Yes
|
Lou’s
Bathroom Ambient assets
|
High
|
Yes
|
Janet’s
Bedroom Background
|
High
|
Yes
|
Janet’s
Bedroom tiles
|
High
|
Yes
|
Janet’s
Bedroom Ambient assets
|
High
|
Yes
|
Living room
Background
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Living room
tiles
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Living room
Ambient assets
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Rory’s House
Background
|
Low
|
No
|
Rory’s House
tiles
|
Low
|
No
|
Rory’s House
Ambient assets
|
Low
|
No
|
Lou all sprites
|
Critical
|
Yes
|
Rory all sprites
|
Low
|
No
|
Janet Assistive Dialogue
|
Moderate
|
No
|
Lou’s Dad Assistive Dialogue
|
Moderate
|
No
|
Lou’s Mom Assistive Dialogue
|
Critical
|
Partially
|
Agatha the Doll all sprites
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Shirt Snake all sprites
|
Critical
|
Yes
|
Toy Soldiers all sprites
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Dust Bunnies all sprites
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Ragdolls all sprites
|
Moderate
|
No
|
Soap Monster all sprites
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Shampoo collectables
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Clothes hamper collectables
|
High
|
Yes
|
Sock collectables
|
Moderate
|
No
|
Toy collectables
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Level door objective
|
Moderate
|
Yes
|
Health
|
High
|
Yes
|
Assistive Pathing Assets
|
Critical
|
Yes
|
Assistive Hints Assets
|
Critical
|
Yes
|
Assistive Keyboard Assets
|
Critical
|
Yes
|
7. Audio Design
7.1. Audio Asset Breakdown
- "Jump" sound file by "Stencyl,
LLC"
- "Stomp" sound file by "Stencyl,
LLC"
- "Title Theme Adventure" sound file by
"Metal Renard"
- "Happy Theme" sound
file by "Metal Renard"
8. Appendices
Appendix 8.1. Technical Design Document
Technical Design Document
containing all technical specifications for Lou’s Adventure.
Appendix 8.2. Art Assets Including Concept Art
Folder containing all art assets
for Lou’s Adventure. Directory is located on Product Owner’s local machine and
can be found on team’s assembla
page.
Derek holds a Bachelor's Degree in Game Design and has two and a half years of game development experience. To view his other work please visit www.dereksinex.com or his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/JDKevlar
Derek holds a Bachelor's Degree in Game Design and has two and a half years of game development experience. To view his other work please visit www.dereksinex.com or his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/JDKevlar
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