Home
-
Signal Paradox
-
PC
-
15 - 30 years
-
Teen (ESRB) 12 (PEGI)
-
**Sci-fi adventure/thriller **The setting of the game, a spaceship overrun by aliens, plays a big part in the atmosphere of the and the feelings we want to invoke. With a mix of an eerie/sinister atmosphere and some combat the player will be constantly on edge, wondering what will happen next.
-
**Puzzle solving ***Puzzles are essentials for the gameplay as they are a big part of the progress. During the playtime the puzzles will increase in difficulty. *
-
**Unique combat system (taser/taser gun, stealth) **What makes the taser unique is the choice of having it as the only weapon. We have modified it so that the upgraded version increases the range (becomes a taser gun). This combined with stealth makes a unique type of combat and gives some freedom to the player.
Livia Skye is a military-trained woman in her mid-late 20’s. She is used to solving problems that arise and is good with wielding any type of weapon. She is light on her feet and fearless, a combination that makes her an excellent soldier and the reason she was taken on as a crewmember for the trip to planet Nomemia.
Standard movements like walk, jump are made by pushing keys like W,A,S,D for movement, Ctrl for crouch action and (Shift key for sprinting). The keybutton E is for interacting with objects in game. Left mouse is for shooting the weapon. (Keybuttom like R are for reloading the weapon.)
If the player is crouching inside a small area for example a ventilation, the camera will change to first person perspective if necessary, this is a security measure so that the camera doesn’t clip thru walls. The camera will always follow the player in third person view and will not have any different camera position while encountering problems or enemies. The camera will follow the player character, meaning that the camera is movable. Dynamic 3rd person camera (distance to player character dependent on space) and 1st person camera in tight spaces. Possibly locked camera in 3rd person for cutscenes.
**Thomas Smith **is a person that was with our main character on the ship. On the ship he was employed as the ship engineer. He was clever enough to install certain protective walls inside the ship. He knew that A might wake up in a later state and because of that he has left some voice memos for her to find.
Walt Portman He studied alien lifeforms. He is usually found in his lab on the ship where he worked.
Chad Houston Military douchebag that always irritated Livia. He was one of the crewmembers on the ship. Livia hated him.
Livia wakes up from cryogenic sleep on a spaceship en route to planet Nomemia. Livia Skye discovers a ship with it’s crew being wiped and aliens wreaking havoc. Livia makes her way through the ship and finally reaches the escape pods.
At the start of the game, Livia finds herself in a room with cryogenic sleeping pods where all the other pods are empty. Inside the room there is also a small generator that powers the pods.
The player will learn how to move, how to crouch, how to push boxes and push buttons. The player will also pick up a weapon to use against the enemies.
New rooms will be introduced throughout the levels, in a linear fashion. The player will have different puzzles to solve during the game with different difficulties. The player will also encounter different types of alien enemies. The smaller aliens can be defeated with the picked up weapon and larger enemies can not. Puzzles will increase in difficulty during the game, when one is completed, a new room will be accessible to the player. First the weapon will be "rewarded" to the player and later they will be able to use an upgrade for the weapon.
The victory condition for the player is to escape from the infested spaceship and survive.
Loneliness, abandonment, thrilling, a fight for survival, fear, on alert.
The music will amplify the thriller aspect and create suspense. Ambience and spotFx will be utilized for the player to feel that something is not as it should be on the spaceship.
In-game interface will include a health bar, equipped weapon and ammunition. Examples of UI elements that could be used;
Flowchart describing interactable UI-elements and its functionality.
This is a game about the fear of being hunted and being a lone survivor in an enclosed space far away from civilisation. There are moments of puzzle solving and moments of conflicts with aliens. These moments have different intensities and approaches and vary between being calm and nerve wracking.
This is room for a short summary of how the game will play. We start with the core mechanics, the mechanics that the game can not live without. A bullet point list is adequate.
- Short summary of the core mechanics your game will include. You can find information about this under the Gameplay Mechanics chapter.
Unique Selling Points, USPs
-
Unique combat (not very violent, taser, strategic)
-
Female protagonist (strong independent woman)
-
Physical puzzles (Pushing objects, laser walls, buttons manipulating the gameworld)
Long term: Find out what happened on the spaceship and its crew members.
Short term: Advance to new parts of the ship, finding clues, defeating aliens, solving puzzles.
End goal: Escape the spaceship in escape-pod.
In (game Titel) the player has to solve puzzles, interact with objects, know platforming elements such as jumping, walking, chrouching ect. You have to think sometimes in different locations to solve the puzzle, be brave to encounter the alien and think strategically to see how you can defeat the alien.
-
Interact with objects
-
Puzzle solving
-
Strategy
-
Combat
-
Stealth
This is where you describe your proper game mechanics. Spare no words, when you circulate this GDD around your team, there has to be the least reasonable amount of doubt about what the gameplay should be like. Since this chapter can get very very long you’re free to create subchapters if this escalates.
-
As the player pushes boxes and buttons, if they are interactable the player will receive feedback in the form of them moving and/or opening a door. Using the weapon upon enemies the player will receive the feedback of them being hit. This will be shown by a visual effect and also a stunned behavior of the enemy, in some cases the enemy will die instead.
-
The game will have a visual UI health bar that implicates the amount of health the character has. If the player takes damage the health bar will go down. At each checkpoint the health bar will be refilled.
-
There are no hidden traps in the game but there are objects that can damage the player, these will only visually indicate that they are harmful and the character might comment on how the objects might be dangerous. These objects can on the other hand be turned off or blocked as a part of solving a puzzle.
-
The enemies will have an animation as a pattern that will indicate on when they intend to attack.
Action Points
In Signal paradox the ammunition in the game can be treated as points in different ways to gain an advantage as it gives the characters attacks a longer range. It can be wise not to waste this ammunition as it would make the game more difficult.
Game mode
**_Mode_**
The experience of Signal paradox is a linear single player mode with its camera fixed in a third person view.
Progression
As the story progresses further the gameplay will become more difficult and the player will encounter more hostile NPCs and have more difficult puzzles to solve.
Weapon
The weapon and its upgrade will always be given to the player as it is required to pick them up to further progress. As the player gains access to the weapon upgrade it will be possible for the player to choose between two variations of attacks to use against enemies. As for power-ups, the weapon upgrade works as permanent power-up for the rest of the game but with ammunition limitation.
Switches
Switches are made so the player can progress further in the game. Switches will be activated when the player interacts with it and will always open a door or deactivate a laser wall.
Doors
Opening doors will at some times require a button to be pushed, often these buttons are found inside a puzzle placed behind a laser wall. As the player completes areas some previous areas will be closed off to prevent back-tracking.
Puzzle
*Some rooms must be solved by completing certain puzzles that are laid in the room. * The puzzles consist of combinations of harmful steam and laser walls, to pass through these walls the player must place a box inside the wall so that it causes a circuit break. Boxes that will be able to interact with will visually differ from other unmovable objects.
-
Taser
-
Close range
-
High damage
-
Risky
-
-
Taser gun
-
Longer range
-
High damage
-
Ammo is scarce
-
Not very risky
-
Require ammunition to be used
-
-
Memo (sound recording)
The game is played out through a camera in third-person-perspective but quite close behind the character. The camera might pan out into a wider view in some cases. As the player controls the character the player will be able to control all the actions of the character which are walking, light running, jumping, crouching, crouch-walking, firing with the weapon and push movable objects. The protagonist is a normal human-being and possesses the qualities as such. However, the character is light on her feet and the player can use her abilities to stealthy avoid the dangers of the game.
At this point we have not planned for different difficulty modes. Therefore, if the player gets killed by an enemy they will respawn in their last checkpoint. The player will be set back but they will not have to restart the game. Winning condition is when the player has successfully completed the game.
The game takes place aboard a spaceship and the gameworld consists of different levels of the ship. In these levels the environment is made up to look futuristic with elements of high technology but still uses real world content the player can recognize, such as buttons, boxes, doors and weapons. The gameworld is also gore as it plays out on a spaceship that has been overrun by hostile aliens. The gameworld consists of the ship's different floors and the rooms in each of these. To proceed further into the game, the player must complete various puzzles and fight enemies that will be encountered on these floors.
| Level: Bottom floor | Level: Middle floor |
| Name: Under Deck | Name: Middle Deck |
| TOD: n/a | TOD: n/a |
| Story: Livia Skye wakes up from cryosleep and sees that her cew-member is gone. She has to explore to find out what happened to the ship and her crew-members. She does find out that something went wrong and that aliens are wreaking havoc on the ship. | Story: Through a memo she finds out that some of the crewmembers decided to take a detour to explore the biome of a planet in passing, however, they brought back the aliens with them. The larger one (alien) is unbeatable and there is no way to know how many they are. |
| Progression: Player taught basic movement, how to solve simple physical puzzles, equipping weapons and fighting first enemies. | Progression: Finding an upgrade for the weapon, bigger physical puzzles, fighting a larger enemy. |
| Est. play time: 15 min | Est. play time: 20 min |
| Color scheme: TBD | Color scheme: TBD |
| Enemies: Body trapper | Enemies: Body trapper, Enemy 2 |
| Mechanics: Walk, crouching, interacting with objects and learning how to manage a weapon. | Mechanics: Manage the upgraded weapon, utilizing jumping in a puzzle. |
| Hazards: Laser-wall, Steam | Hazards: Laser wall, Steam |
| Power-ups: Equipping weapon | Power-ups: Upgraded weapon with ammo |
| Abilities: n/a | Abilities: n/a |
| Bonus materials: n/a | Bonus materials: Secret room with extra ammo and an extra memo |
| Music track: TBD. | Music track: TBD |
| Level: Top Floor |
| Name: Captains Deck |
| TOD: n/a |
| Story: A sees a potential to flee away from the spaceship and thinking that she can use the escape pod. |
| Progression: The progression is that Livia Skye will finish her quest to run away from the spaceship. |
| Est. play time: 5 min |
| Color scheme: TBD |
| Enemies: Body trapper |
| Mechanics: n/a |
| Hazards: Laser wall |
| Power-ups: n/a |
| Abilities: n/a |
| Bonus materials: n/a |
| Music track: TBD |
The first level, "Bottom Floor" is where the player starts their journey. Represented on the map with “Player Start”, “Player End” is where the first level ends.
"Memo" is items that play a radio message (alt. Displays a note), that gives the player intel on the situation, the first room with a Memo cannot be exited until the radio message has played.
"Weapon Pickup" is the area where the player finds their base weapon, the tazer.
"Checkpoint" is an airlock or elevator where progress is saved.
The second level is larger than the first level.
"Weapon Upgrade" indicates where the Taser becomes a Taser gun if the player has ammo for it. Every spot with “Ammo” is where the player finds more of it.
The last cluster of enemies spawns only after the player has completed the puzzle in the server room.
-
First physical puzzle (Unspecified); moving a larger object that is obstructing the only door leading out of the room, as the object is moved the player will see a button (switch) by the door that if pressed opens the door.
-
Second physical puzzle (Control Room); moving a larger object that will obstruct a laser wall that is preventing the player from going to a switch for the generators. The switch will turn on the generators that subsequently turn on a controlpanel and the switch for the door leading out of the room.
-
First encounter with enemies (Hallway); three Body trappers obstruct the path of the player and they will need to fight them.
-
Third puzzle, second encounter (Warehouse); big room with a puzzle combining everything the player learned so far with two spawn points of enemies (one as the player enters the room, and one as the player just starts the puzzle).
-
Third encounter (Storage room); only used for the player to be more on guard (enemies could be anywhere).
-
Fourth puzzle, fourth encounter (Machine room); encounter once again used to "startle" the player. Puzzle adds jumping to the timed puzzle learnt earlier.
-
Fifth encounter (Lab); new, larger enemy.
-
Fifth puzzle (Lab storage); easy, used for stalling the player.
-
Sixth puzzle, Sixth encounter (Engineering workshop); many small enemies (bigger group than before) and an easy puzzle using a movable object and laser wall.
-
Seventh Puzzle, seventh encounter (Unspecified & Server room); Puzzle and encounter in steps. There are several laser walls that can be controlled and shut off from a control panel that is located straight ahead when the player enters the room. At the very end of the room the player will notice a button behind a wall and a box in front of it. Using the correct combination at the control panel all the walls will shut off except the last one where the player now can reach and push the box inside it.
In the last room, as the player goes there, a cluster of both big and small enemies have spawned. They must be "defeated" before the player can push the button in this room, opening the door to the elevator room.
- The eighth encounter, eighth puzzle (cockpit); five small enemies for stalling the player. Find the button that opens the laser wall to the cockpit, crouching in a fenced off area, pushing the button. The button in the cockpit activates the door switch to the escape pod room.
The estimated gameplay time will be around 1 hour. It might take longer if the player struggles with enemies or puzzles.
Headtrapper will be introduced for the player in the first level. Headtrapper is an alien that looks like a spider with claws as legs. The unique function the headtrapper has is that it can grab on the player and damage the player while it is hooked on the player. The headtrapper is blind but will focus on the movement of the player and how much sound they make to find them and attack. The player should use this to their advantage by sneaking up close and use the taser on them.
This alien is a larger alien, will always charge into the player and do high damage to the player. This alien looks like a turtle with its shell on the top and this alien will appear in the second level of the game. The player will not have a chance to eliminate this alien, the player must doge and use the taser-gun to subdue this alien.
The game is in 3D and will have a realistic feel (but not photorealistic), slightly stylized. 
The game will have space ambience, music, and have spotFx to give the player a more of a thriller aspect. Environment sound will also be implemented in the game just to give more life to the game. Memos will be in the game so a Voice Over will be implemented in the game.
**_"Backstory: _Livia Skye is a military-trained woman in her mid-late 20’s. She is used to solving problems that arise and is good with wielding any type of weapon. She is light on her feet and fearless, a combination that makes her an excellent soldier and the reason she was taken on as a crewmember for the trip to planet Nomemia."
"Livia Skye" will have foley sounds to give life to the player
"*planet Nomemia." *makes out that the world will be in space and so will the music ambient also be.
"*trip to planet Nomemia." *spotFx around the ship
"_Player character mechanics: _...The protagonist is a normal human-being and possesses the qualities as such. However, the character is light on her feet and the player can use her abilities to stealthy avoid the dangers of the game."
"The protagonist is a normal human-being and possesses the qualities as such" Voice over and dialog will be encountered in the game.
The game will be for PC and possibly Xbox.
Engine used for this project will be Unity
Project management through GitHub and Trello
Other software used for the game will include; Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter (Designer), Audacity, Jetbrains Rails, Microsoft Visual Studio
The game can be replayed but there will not be any differences in gameplay at this moment as it’s only one difficulty.
-
Achievement
-
Other difficulties
-
DLC (Downloadable content)
The game is meant to compete with other thriller-puzzle games and is meant to give our developers experience and show our brand to a broad audience.
Our player loves thriller-puzzle games and will play the game on the computer, however we do hope to reach out to new players that have not yet played this type of game before.
Examples of games that our player might also enjoy: Alien Isolation, Dead Space, Portal and Half life.
As this is a school project it will be financed by our own time and money and will not be published for financial purposes. Development of the game will be done from past experiences, tutorials and try and errors.
Geographics: due to that we will put the game on itch.io we can’t really count what geographic our playerbase will have, however when the game will be tested there will possibly be more players from Sweden.
Demographics:
Age: 13-30
Gender: Any
Religion: Any
Educational level: Any
Income level: Any
Psychographics:
Player interest: Problem solving, exploring and combat.
Player behaviour: Taking risk and problem solving.
Attitudes: Patient, brave.
Values: Players who can relax, focus and enjoy games.
The game will be in english. No other languages will be used in any way at this time and subtitles in english will be implemented.
The game will be free-to-play with no monetization, no ads and will only be available on PC as for now and downloadable at itch.io. In the future the game may be available on additional platforms.