A short PowerPoint presentation I created for a gameplay module which was part of my Creative Development course at college.
This module was delivered so as to develop our understanding of prototyping within the Games Industry and as such we were give a brief to develop a small prototype of our own.
Working from our own original content we had to detail gameplay characteristics and mechanics while including visual design elements.
Having previously designed the character Boingo as well as the world he inhabited, I decided to double down on this idea and flesh it out further, creating a fully realised idea which could perhaps become a small game one day.
2. The Players
Designed to be single player
No co-op
No multiplayer
No online component
3. Gameplay
Type
2D or 2.5D platformer
Similar to
Rayman Legends
Electronic Super Joy
Ori and the Blind Forest
Levels designed around a
different theme:
Forest
Water
Techological
Ruins
etc
Progression requires beating the
previous level
4. Mechanics
Moves freely left to right
Basic jump
Used to ‘climb’ platforms &
objects
Collects Power-Ups as level
difficulty increases
New moves & skills
Variants of Jump
Power-Slam
Double-Jump
Helicopter-Hover
Helps to access new areas
Fight new, harder enemies
5. Rules
Main rules delivered during
opening level
Covers basic movement &
jumping
‘Assault Course’ style level
Objects to navigate
On-Screen prompts &
animations
Learn via ‘show & tell’
Further experimentation once
the basics are established results
in:
Death (Learn from mistakes)
Success (Learn by overcoming
a challenge)
New moves require tutorial style
Show &Tell + Do type of
learning
6. Playability
Aspects
Designed to be fun & rewarding
Simple, yet ‘solid’ controls
No input lag
Playable character should
respond 1 to 1 with input
Characters &World Design to be
aesthetically pleasing
Rich, colourful & cartoon-like
Technical aspects & enemies
require some skill
Not too difficult
Avoid frustration
Small challenges & checkpoints
paced evenly throughout the
levels & should be fair
Reward player with:
Sense of empowerment
Satisfaction
7. Victory
Conditions
Simple, easy to understand
Traverse each level
Avoid enemies
Avoid traps
Reach end-of-level goal
Each completed level brings you
nearer to the final boss
Beat the boss and emerge
victorious!
8. Graphics &
VisualStyle
Reminiscent of games like
Rayman, Ori and the Blind Forest
or Slime-San
Analogous colour scheme
Bright & colourful
Simple graphics
Clear lines
Sets the tone for each level
Simple, bright style betrays
devious difficulty curve
Seems easy but requires skill to
master
Strong detail
Many animated elements
World seems ‘alive’
9. Characters
Main playable character is
Boingo
Is a Flump
Lives in the land of BoB
Ball-like, floppy ears
Mobile & bouncy
Helps him get around
Ears double as weapons & skills
such as ‘flying’
Other NPC Flumps scattered
around the world
Can chat to these/deliver
exposition
Bitsos (enemies) are featured in
all levels
Final boss (Zyzygy)
10. World &
Environment
Game starts in the Overworld
Boingo’s village
Lush green rolling hills, blue
skies & rivers
Must travel to the Mines of
Zyzygy
Caves where the Bitsos reside
Technology based
Encounters other areas on the
way
Woodlands
Abandoned quarries
Snow covered mountain tops
Other items include
Depictions of historical
significance (Ruins, statues &
tomes)
Mystical history
11. Level Design
Initially simple in design
Good for training & skill
acquisition
Control mastery
NPC’s at various significant
points around each level
Deliver story
Used to acquire new skills &
moves
Difficulty ramps up as game
progresses
Harder jumping sections
Moving platforms & times
jumps
Harder, trickier enemies to
battle against
2/3 through the game, the pace
levels out (plateaus)
Allows for some breathing
room & creates tension prior to
final section
Final area significantly ramps up
difficulty
Requires player to use
everything they’ve learned