Game Design Document - Doom Ekernel
Game schedule:
Pitch & Vision: Doom Ekernel is a first-person shooter-like game in which the player fights off enemy AIs while trying to navigate a maze. The player is a farmer who must reach the center of their corn maze, which is filled with evil, living popcorn kernels. The player can win the game by unplugging the microwave at the end of the maze, which the popcorn is coming from. The player can lose the game by being eaten by the popcorn kernels or by running out of time. The difficulty of the maze will increase as the player approaches the center, and the player must complete a sort of "boss fight" before completing the game. Other enemies, such as scarecrows, may also be added to provide an extra challenge if time allows. The game's mechanics are pretty simple, but it will ideally be difficult enough to keep player engagement.
The main aspects of gameplay are problem solving and speed, with a focus on high-quality graphics and easy-to-learn mechanics.
The full mechanics are detailed in the mechanics section.
Full slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1etNrIXabxXNVWHzh8FhC8n2uPLXA3ACqgCLfGCkke1E/edit#slide=id.p
The main aspects of gameplay are problem solving and speed, with a focus on high-quality graphics and easy-to-learn mechanics.
The full mechanics are detailed in the mechanics section.
Full slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1etNrIXabxXNVWHzh8FhC8n2uPLXA3ACqgCLfGCkke1E/edit#slide=id.p
Genre & Target Audience: The game is a first-person shooter, but differs from most traditional shooters. First of all, the player doesn't actually "shoot" anything, they just swing a pitchfork, throw their hat, or something similar. The game will also have a much different feel than most well-known shooters, set in in a farm with a cozy feel instead of a futuristic arena. The "maze" concept also lends the game some aspects of a puzzle game.
The game is targeted towards a wide variety of people, being easy to learn and play. It will be focused on teens and young adults, but anyone with basic strategy and puzzle-solving abilities will be able to enjoy the game.
Age rating: E for Everyone
Playtime estimate: 10-15 minutes per attempt
Platforms: PC
The game is targeted towards a wide variety of people, being easy to learn and play. It will be focused on teens and young adults, but anyone with basic strategy and puzzle-solving abilities will be able to enjoy the game.
Age rating: E for Everyone
Playtime estimate: 10-15 minutes per attempt
Platforms: PC
Gameplay Mechanics:
- Basic movement: the player can navigate through the maze with the WASD keys, and space bar to jump. These controls, along with the control to attack, will be conveyed as a simple line of text that shows on the corner of the screen when the game starts. That text will disappear after a few seconds.
- Timer: the player will spawn at the entrance of the maze, and the timer will immediately begin upon spawn. The timer will appear as a decreasing number in the top right corner of the screen. The value that the timer starts at will depend on the size of the maze, but will immediately freeze when the win condition is triggered. If the timer reaches zero, it will freeze and trigger the loss screen.
- Maze walls: the maze will have opaque walls that can't be seen through or jumped over. It may be possible to see over the top slightly, but that will not detract from the enjoyment of the game. The walls cannot be so high that the game's surrounding environment can't be seen. Custom textures that resemble stalks of corn will need to be made. The maze must be big and challenging, but only as big as time allows. There will only be one entrance/exit, which is the one at which the player spawns. The microwave will be oversized, bigger than the player's model, and will sit in a large clearing at the center of the maze. Be careful that there are no more than two paths to the center. Small "Easter eggs" that do not affect the game's story may be placed in far corners of the maze.
- Enemy popcorn attack: enemy popcorn kernels spawn at set locations throughout the maze, and roam randomly until they find a line of sight with the player. Once a kernel has line of sight (from any distance) it will move towards the player at roughly the same speed as the player itself. The popcorn will be floating in the air at a specific height so that the player cannot jump over it. If the kernel makes contact with the player, it will trigger the game loss condition. If the player successfully attacks the kernel (explained in the next bullet point), it will fall apart with realistic physics and the player can continue through the maze. Popcorn kernels will spawn in higher concentrations as the player reaches the center. At first, the player will only encounter a few individual kernels to ease them into the game's challenge. Near the center, they will spawn frequently and in small packs.
- Basic attack: when the player is within range (a few feet, roughly) of a popcorn kernel, they can press F on their keyboard to activate the "attack" mechanic. An animation will play showing the player's pitchfork swinging outward in an arc. A "whoosh" sound will accompany this. If the arc of the player's attack makes contact with the popcorn kernel, it will cause the kernel to fall apart with realistic physics. The player must aim towards the kernel, they can't swing randomly.
- Increasing difficulty: as mentioned previously, the number of popcorn kernels will increase as the player reaches the center of the maze, therefore gradually making the game more difficult.
- Microwave unplug: at the center of the maze is a large microwave, with an oversized cord plugged into the ground behind it. When the player is within range (a few feet, roughly) of the plug, they can press E on their keyboard to active the "unplug" mechanic. This will play an animation that shows the microwave's plug coming out of the ground. All existing popcorn kernels will freeze in place, and the win screen will be triggered, ending the game.
- Game win: once the microwave has been unplugged, the player immediately triggers the win condition. This will play a sound, disable the player's movement, and show a victory message with a button to restart the game or view the credits. The credits will be a few lines of text that give information about the game. The sound will be a simple tune.
- Game loss: since combat is fairly easy, the player only needs to be hit one time to trigger the death screen. When the player is hit, a simple sound will play, the player's movement will be disabled, and a death message will appear along with a button to restart the game. The loss condition will also be triggered if the timer reaches zero before the microwave is unplugged. The sound will be something along the lines of the sad trombone sound effect.
- Basic movement: the player can navigate through the maze with the WASD keys, and space bar to jump. These controls, along with the control to attack, will be conveyed as a simple line of text that shows on the corner of the screen when the game starts. That text will disappear after a few seconds.
- Timer: the player will spawn at the entrance of the maze, and the timer will immediately begin upon spawn. The timer will appear as a decreasing number in the top right corner of the screen. The value that the timer starts at will depend on the size of the maze, but will immediately freeze when the win condition is triggered. If the timer reaches zero, it will freeze and trigger the loss screen.
- Maze walls: the maze will have opaque walls that can't be seen through or jumped over. It may be possible to see over the top slightly, but that will not detract from the enjoyment of the game. The walls cannot be so high that the game's surrounding environment can't be seen. Custom textures that resemble stalks of corn will need to be made. The maze must be big and challenging, but only as big as time allows. There will only be one entrance/exit, which is the one at which the player spawns. The microwave will be oversized, bigger than the player's model, and will sit in a large clearing at the center of the maze. Be careful that there are no more than two paths to the center. Small "Easter eggs" that do not affect the game's story may be placed in far corners of the maze.
- Enemy popcorn attack: enemy popcorn kernels spawn at set locations throughout the maze, and roam randomly until they find a line of sight with the player. Once a kernel has line of sight (from any distance) it will move towards the player at roughly the same speed as the player itself. The popcorn will be floating in the air at a specific height so that the player cannot jump over it. If the kernel makes contact with the player, it will trigger the game loss condition. If the player successfully attacks the kernel (explained in the next bullet point), it will fall apart with realistic physics and the player can continue through the maze. Popcorn kernels will spawn in higher concentrations as the player reaches the center. At first, the player will only encounter a few individual kernels to ease them into the game's challenge. Near the center, they will spawn frequently and in small packs.
- Basic attack: when the player is within range (a few feet, roughly) of a popcorn kernel, they can press F on their keyboard to activate the "attack" mechanic. An animation will play showing the player's pitchfork swinging outward in an arc. A "whoosh" sound will accompany this. If the arc of the player's attack makes contact with the popcorn kernel, it will cause the kernel to fall apart with realistic physics. The player must aim towards the kernel, they can't swing randomly.
- Increasing difficulty: as mentioned previously, the number of popcorn kernels will increase as the player reaches the center of the maze, therefore gradually making the game more difficult.
- Microwave unplug: at the center of the maze is a large microwave, with an oversized cord plugged into the ground behind it. When the player is within range (a few feet, roughly) of the plug, they can press E on their keyboard to active the "unplug" mechanic. This will play an animation that shows the microwave's plug coming out of the ground. All existing popcorn kernels will freeze in place, and the win screen will be triggered, ending the game.
- Game win: once the microwave has been unplugged, the player immediately triggers the win condition. This will play a sound, disable the player's movement, and show a victory message with a button to restart the game or view the credits. The credits will be a few lines of text that give information about the game. The sound will be a simple tune.
- Game loss: since combat is fairly easy, the player only needs to be hit one time to trigger the death screen. When the player is hit, a simple sound will play, the player's movement will be disabled, and a death message will appear along with a button to restart the game. The loss condition will also be triggered if the timer reaches zero before the microwave is unplugged. The sound will be something along the lines of the sad trombone sound effect.
Scope: The aim is to create a game whose mechanics are not overly complicated, so that it is easy for players of all ages to learn. Great care will be taken to create good graphics and a well-crafted maze. Ideally, the maze will be big enough to challenge the player and immerse them in the game.
The following assets will need to be created in order to begin the game itself:
- Character models for the farmer (based on the character design sketch), the popcorn, and the scarecrow/crows.
- Ambient sounds that evoke a farm setting and autumn, maybe also some eerie sounds such as crow noises.
- Sound effects for pitchfork, popcorn, and microwave to immerse the player in the game.
- Sound effects for game start, game win, and game loss. Very simple, just a few notes that give the player a cue.
- The maze itself, big enough to present a challenge, with somewhat narrow passages and many turns to make the game unpredictable.
- Custom textures for the plants that make up the maze, the microwave in the center, and the grass itself.
- A complete farm environment for the game to take place in, with an empty plot in the center for the maze.
- Pitchfork/hat model that the player can pick up and use against enemies.
- Animations for the player's attacking mechanic, as well as for the microwave unplugging.
The following assets will need to be created in order to begin the game itself:
- Character models for the farmer (based on the character design sketch), the popcorn, and the scarecrow/crows.
- Ambient sounds that evoke a farm setting and autumn, maybe also some eerie sounds such as crow noises.
- Sound effects for pitchfork, popcorn, and microwave to immerse the player in the game.
- Sound effects for game start, game win, and game loss. Very simple, just a few notes that give the player a cue.
- The maze itself, big enough to present a challenge, with somewhat narrow passages and many turns to make the game unpredictable.
- Custom textures for the plants that make up the maze, the microwave in the center, and the grass itself.
- A complete farm environment for the game to take place in, with an empty plot in the center for the maze.
- Pitchfork/hat model that the player can pick up and use against enemies.
- Animations for the player's attacking mechanic, as well as for the microwave unplugging.
Aesthetics: The game's aesthetics will create a warm, natural feel, and will look somewhat realistic but not so much that the player is distracted from the game. The color palette will be centered around browns, greens, and yellows, as the game takes place in a corn maze during autumn. If possible, some of the plants in the background will be swaying gently to create a more realistic feel. Although the game only takes place within the maze, there will be a full environment surrounding it. The player-character's model does not matter as it is a first person game, but the enemy AI models will be pretty simple, almost cartoonish. The game's lighting will be somewhat dim, designed to evoke a feeling of mystery. If possible, the amount of light could even decrease subtly as the player goes deeper into the maze.
Moodboard:
Moodboard:
Character Design & Storyline:
Storyboard:
Level Design
Before beginning creation on my final game, I need to map out the levels that the game will take place in. A good level design teaches the players how to play the game as they play it, with hints or instructions provided as needed. In my design, I made sure that the difficulty increased as the game progressed, with enemies spawning infrequently at the start of the game, but appearing in large packs by the end. The game itself takes place in a maze, and is divided into three main levels. The first level is the area outside the maze, set in a simple farm environment. The only purpose of this level is to introduce the player to the game and teach them the controls. The player can enter the maze to enter the second level, which consists of the entire maze. Once the player reaches the center of the maze, they can enter the final "arena", which is the third level. Naturally, this is the most difficult part of the game, but it's the player's last step in order to win. It's also worth noting that the map has no checkpoints, and the player will have to completely restart if they die.
Final Level Design
This is the finalized version of Doom Ekernel's level design, made in Adobe Illustrator. It was mainly made with the shape tools and the rectangular grid tool. There are three main levels to the game, indicated by the background colors (Level 1 is yellow, Level 2 is blue, and level 3 is purple). Player and enemy spawn locations are indicated with circles, the maze walls are shown in green, and various other features are also indicated. These are mainly for aesthetics and don't have an impact on gameplay. The microwave and NPC scarecrow are displayed with icons from The Noun Project. As always, there is a legend at the top and a flowchart detailing the steps to the game.
Asset Creation
With my whiteboxing finished, I began to work on creating the assets that will be used in my game. I used 3DS Max to create a couple models, and I found some others for free online. The popcorn model will be used as the model of the enemy NPCs, and the microwave is the centerpiece in the middle of the maze. The scarecrow was downloaded online from CGTrader, and the model itself was created by user Khalid. The next step is to greybox my game by adding more detailed textures and models.