The Escapade Game Design Document

Ben Mathis and Agust Karlsson


The Escapade takes place inside of a pop-up book. You play as Iris, a teen-aged girl who is sucked into the book. You must navigate through the pages before the timer reaches zero. The level is made out of elements of the page that are either popped up already, or elements you must pop up yourself through manipulation.


Contents

  1. Core game design.

  2. Backstory

  3. Tone of the game

  4. Overall game objective

  5. Flow from starting the game

  6. Interface

  7. Camera perspective

  8. Game levels

  9. Difficulty level

  10. Characters

  11. Level description

  12. User controls

  13. Menu flow

  14. Art style


Core game design

The game is meant to satisfy the player by finishing the level within the time allotted. The levels will be designed in such a way that no one will be able to finish in time their first try. The level must be learned through repeated tries, so that the player can successfully speed through before time is up. The levels are multi level in nature, requiring gymnastic moves to navigate through, over, and under them. Some elements of the level must be manipulated into place using pull tabs, wheels, or sliders as found in traditional pop up books.


Backstory

Iris is a teen-aged girl who is pulled into the book by the spirit of the book. It has lay dormant for years and requires someone to bring it back to it's full glory. Iris is the granddaughter of the last person so help the book. She finds it in her grandmothers attic, and when she opens it, she finds herself pulled inside.


Tone of the game

The tone of the game is very light and whimsical. Very little of the story will be given to the player directly, as the game is meant to be enjoyed through the play. Focus is on gameplay, and the back story is merely to give depth to the world. It will be available through the website, and portions of the game not required to beat it. (menus, etc)


Overall game objective

The objective of the game is to finish all the levels in the time allowed. Once finished, you can race a ghosted version of your best run through, to try to beat it. The player should feel very smooth and fast when they know the levels and are racing through them. There should be a feeling of accomplishment from finishing in time, or beating a previous best.


Flow from starting the game

The player will start the exe, and choose to play the game. There is a choice of three ways to play. Beginner, Exploration, or Expert mode. Beginner mode will include tutorial bubbles, the timers in place for the levels, and all dialog and in game cut-scenes present. Exploration mode includes everything but the timer, and allows for the player to explore the levels. Expert mode has the timer, but no tutorials or cut-scenes. This allows seasoned players to play without bothersome parts to skip through.

Assuming the player starts in Beginner mode, he will load the first level. He will run through the game, and when he approaches a new type of level piece he hasn't before, a tutorial bubble will pop up explaining how to interact with it. The level will include a maze of elements to navigate, needing timed jumps, running or sprinting, double jumps, sliding, rolling, and crawling to move through. In addition, some elements will require being popped up, using wheels, sliders, or pull tabs. The player will need to use the action button when he approaches one of these manipulators. Rapid button presses will make him manipulate the element. He can then proceed to navigate through the element. If the player does not reach the end of the level before the timer reaches zero, all of the pop up elements fall flat, and the player has to return to the start in order to reset them all, and he can make another run through the level. The second time through, he will know just what to do, and when, which will speed his navigation up, and this process will repeat till the level can be finished in time.


Interface

The interface of the game is minimal, consisting only of the timer, and when appropriate, tutorial bubbles.


Camera perspective

The perspective of the game is a hybrid 2d/3d camera. The camera will be fixed perpendicular to the characters plane of movement, but will show perspective, and all the elements of the game are fully 3d.


Game levels

Gameplay is divided into four levels. At this point they are: Bedroom, Outdoor park, Cityscape, and Fantasy impressionist location.


Difficulty level

The heart of the gameplay is training up your speed in which you navigate the level, and your knowledge of the levels. The game should not be very difficult. It's meant to be light and fun. It should take around 1-2 hours to complete all four levels. Replay time will vary based on peoples enjoyment of beating their previous best times on the levels.


Main characters

Iris is the main character. She's a young spunky teen ager. She has a somber face, but dresses in bright colors. Little is known of her.

Book Spirit. There will possibly be a second character, the embodiment of the book itself. If so, the book will be presented as a fairy or wood sprite.


Level description

The world is inside of the pop-up book. Each page layout is a different level, and a different theme. The bedroom level consists of only things you would find in a young girls bedroom. The color theme of this level is pink and purple. The outdoor park level is a combination garden, playground, and park. You'll find park benches, swing sets, flowers, and trees. The color theme of this level is green and brown. The cityscape level has you jumping over houses, museums, skyscrapers and other large buildings. The color theme of this level is blue and grey. The fantasy level is made of non representational forms. Green lava, unicorns, rainbows you can walk on, and puffy orange clouds are things you might find in this level. The color them of this level is rainbow.


User controls

The user controls Iris using the keyboard or a controller. Keyboard controls still need to be nailed down. She needs to be able to walk, run, jump, double jump, roll, slide, hang from ledges, pull herself up, and manipulate the pop up controls.


Menu flow

The menu consists of: Start, Credits, Art exploration, Donate via Paypal button. The in-game interface consists only of the timer, and tutorial pop up bubbles if relevant. Pressing the escape key brings up the in game menu, where you can restart, exit to main menu, or exit to desktop.


Art style

Textures will be hand painted. High color saturation and contrast. The main character will be painted with realistic volume, using painterly strokes. No overlays or photo sourced grit will be used. The main character model is highly stylized in proportions, while still looking semi realistic. Similar to comic book proportions.

The level assets are meant to look like a real pop up book. Therefor the models are merely flat planes with thickness, cut to the shape of the asset in question (for example a tree would be a tree shaped flat plane). The textures will be painted to look like an illustration of that asset, highly stylized with high saturation and contrast.

All assets will be displayed at 100% full bright in engine. However they will cast a colored bluish shadow. The engine will have Depth of Field, Aeirial perspective, and motion blur.

Sound is still to be set. It should echo the art style and be light and whimsical.