Making a Game Part 1 Iteration 3: The Gamey Bits

The third iteration will focus on gameplay, core mechanics, interactivity and controls, also known as the gamey bits.

Most of the games that I referenced actually have little to no gameplay. “Actual Sunlight” even wrote in their description that gameplay is minimal and players should consider what their reaction to a book, film or piece of music in a similar vein might be.

But I am doing a game degree, so I think my lecturer would appreciate actual gamey bits in my so-called game.

Problems

• How do I incorporate gameplay into a narrative driven game?
• What kind of gameplay should I include?
• Puzzles?
• Mini games in the vein of “Warioware” or “Bishi Bashi”? I do have experience making those type of games really quickly.
• Something like “Fiete”?
• How do players navigate the game?
• What are the limitations in creating a game for the mobile?
• Should I use mobile features? Such as gyroscope, etc.?
• Should I do something point and click?
• Should I incorporate swiping in the vein of Tinder?
• Should I present different scenarios in a single screen? And players can swipe left or right to control the game.
• Should I incorporate rotation of the device into the game? To represent the inner you vs the outer you.
• Should I incorporate something similar to “The Silent Age” that switches between 2 different times to solve puzzles in the same location?
• Should I make a hidden object game?
• Should I make a interactive story game with branching scenarios? Similar to “Depression Quest” and “Actual Sunlight”?
• Do I want to make a text heavy game?
• Can I portray narrative with no text at all?
• Can I just come up with imagery to tell a story instead?

Research

I like how “That Dragon, Cancer” incorporates mini games into their story.

I also like little interactions in “The Sailor’s Dream”, and how some of the puzzles are dependent on the time and date of the phone.

I also really enjoy the puzzles in “Lumino City”, because they use a lot of real world elements, and even though some puzzles are formulaic, they try to put a twist to it.

I recently played a mobile game called “Office Quest” that is pretty reminiscent of Telltale games. But it’s a bit too quirky for what I’m aiming for.

“The Silent Age” is about time travel and there is a button that allows player to switch between two different times to solve puzzles in the same location.

In the vein of “Warioware”, “McPixel” has fast paced and ridiculous puzzles in a point and click format.

 

Synthesis

• I think it’s safe to say that in terms of gameplay and controls, I will be doing something point and clicky, like the old Telltale games. Speaking of which, I still have a backlog of “Sam and Max” games.
• Or, I think it might be interesting to observe how people actually use their phones. The interaction that people are used to. For example, swiping left and right on Tinder, or scrolling down on endless Facebook feeds, or finding the perfect gif or emoji to send to a friend on Messenger, or taking the perfect selfie and filtering the shit out of it for Instagram. I also think it’s quite interesting how people portray themselves on social media vs real life.
• Or, a card game with different “Would you rather” scenarios that people can swipe left or right to. For example, “Stay in bed all day”, “Go out with friends”.
• Controls similar to “Device 6” and “The Sailor’s Dream”
• Or, a series of mini games, like “Dumb Ways to Die”
• Make sure that the point and click has sufficient player feedback (such as show a cursor when and where tapped. could use a ripple effect to represent that every action the player does, however small, has a ripple effect to the character in the game)
• Like “Elude” that chose presented depression as a metaphor
• Weather App, because it fills like a rain cloud
• Scene 1: In the dark, Clock Time is faded, alarm clock rings. Tap Circle to Snooze. Scene 2: Clock Time is clearer and starts moving faster and faster. Tap Circle on Screen to Stop Alarm. Circle moves around the screen quickly. Swipe to Finally stop the alarm clock. Scene 3: First Person video of sitting up, and swearing “*bleep* I’m late!” Scene 4: In front of mirror, faceless person. Swipe to Get Ready (or Swipe Left or Right to choose expression). Can swipe through different expressions, including a doggy filter. Scene 5: You are lost and you need to ask for directions from a stranger. The stranger’s reaction is based on the mask you selected. For example, if you wear an angry mask, the stranger will shout at you. If you wear a smiley mask, the stranger will be kind. If you wear a doggy mask, the stranger will just bark.
• Doors puzzle (Scooby Doo)- multiple doors, you enter one and go out another, you need to find the right pattern
• Maybe I should go down the route of mini games
• A Depression Simulator

Refinement

A narrative-driven point-and-click puzzle empathy game about depression and social anxiety.

Okay, that’s a mouthful.