GAME DESCRIPTION

Idea

After brainstorming ideas, we chose to combine 2 ideas - the idea of a dungeon escape puzzle game and a fast paced last man standing game. The resulting concept is a fast paced racing game, in which the players are pressured to escape a collapsing dungeon, while at the same time trying to sabotage each other, so at the end only one remains. The ground behind the running players is continually falling, hence every tile where a player has stood on will fall. This, combined with player skills, will add more possible chances for the players to eliminate each other. The first one to escape the collapsing tunnel of the dungeon - the last one standing - will win. The aim in terms of feeling of the game is to be a dynamic race between players, where everyone is trying to sabotage everyone else, while trying to avoid the imminent threat of the collapsing corridor.

Core mechanics

The core mechanics of the game will basically be the collapsing floor (which will create pressure for the players to escape), the running players and the skills they have to sabotage each other. We are hoping the combination of those mechanics to result in a fun, dynamic couch co-op, because what's more fun than screwing your friends over, while also running for your life?

Setting and camera

In terms of world setting, we chose a fantasy setting. The game will be played between 2, 3 or 4 players, each controlling a different chosen character with their own unique characteristics, abilities and gameplay style, so the fantasy setting is best suited to the dungeon environment and the skills the players will have. In terms of camera view - the whole level will take action in a procedurally generated corridor, so in order to show all four players in the best way possible, we chose to have a downward facing camera (at about 45 degrees) behind and above the players. We considered the option of a split screen and the typical top-down RTS view, but figured that the RTS view would never fully show the most crucial information - what is in front of the players , and that the split screen would just be a horrible idea when all 4 players are playing - it would be too crammed and messy.

Characters

As for the characters, the goal is to achieve a somewhat humorous and light feeling to the characters and to keep them all unique in their own way, so no character has an advantage over the other. Some discussed character ideas were: a trickster, a shapeshifter, an arcane mage, a tank/massive character and others. Those characters will be narrowed down to 4, which each character being as balanced as possible in comparison to the rest. It will be crucial for the characters to be very different in terms of shape language, colour scheme and gameplay style, so they can all be instantly differentiated while being on the screen at the same time. A sprinkle of chaos (from the characters being together, casting spells/using their skills and sabotaging each other) in the whole race wouldn’t be a disadvantage though, since the confusion that will arise from it would make the game more intense for the players, and hopefully more fun.

Extra mechanics and details

The idea of placing various pickups in the corridor was discussed as well. Pickups like bombs, traps, instant spells, etc. would introduce more variety and randomness to the game, once the players are familiar with each other’s characters’ abilities and know what to expect.

The plan is for the “corridor” in question to be randomly generated, so the players have a different experience every time they play. This would increase the replay ability of the game. The game would end once only one player remains, with an end location placed shortly after the player achieves the victory of being the last man standing. Is it still unsure whether the end location would be a treasure room all the players were racing to after activating a trap, or the escape from the corridor after setting off a trap in a certain place.

ANSWERS WE FOUND DURING THIS WEEK OF PROTOTYPING

We had a few big dilemmas while discussing the prototype: camera placement and angle calculation, fitting all the players in the screen, visibility and how the tile generation/falling would work.

PROBLEMS WE RAN INTO

Unreal in general was tough to get into for our programmers, especially when they were used to Unity more. All the mechanics proved to be a challenge, especially the camera.

WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN'T WORK

We ended up succeeding in making the tile generation and the tile falling work. Here is an example, with the player as a cube:
https://gyazo.com/fe7f9e44e126321f0e0d3ff48acaf2ed
It's slightly too intense in this recording, but that will be adjusted accordingly.

PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

By next week we are planning to do the following tasks:

Have the prototype to a playable and decent finish. This would include:

• Accurate camera placement and working adaptation to the players’ positions 
• Fully working tile generation, falling and character movement 
• Somewhat achieved desired feeling: speed, intensity, tension 
• Game working with all 4 characters, played with controllers
• Working pickup system 
• Test prototype in Unity 
• Have a rudimentary UI/HUD 
• Concepts for the characters and the environment
• Have the Art bible completely finished
• Have the Technical document completely finished
• Have a list of assets we can immediately start working on once production starts