GAMES DEVELOPMENT TASK 01

Hasnol Rafiq Bin Hasnol Raduan / 0356767

Games Development / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's Design School

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Task 01: Game Design

Research

I began by looking through the games that I played the most and has had a lasting impact on me. I ended up deciding on very low-stakes and casual games. For a more specific approach, I went for games that were bright and adventurous and didn't invoke any feelings of pressure or fear. This means horror-themed games were not in the picture. With this choice, I have a clear vision of what my game could become.

 

I decided to analyze these three games and take inspiration:

• Pokémon White 2
• Minecraft
• Animal Crossing: New Horizon

Process: 

The game aims to combine the battling mechanics of Pokémon with the aesthetics of Animal Crossing, creating a unique and immersive experience for players of all ages. Platforming elements involve navigating through various environments, jumping across platforms, and overcoming obstacles to progress. Players can utilise their abilities during battles or exploration.

Gameplay Breakdown:

The core gameplay revolves around exploring a vast, interconnected world and battling fantastic creatures to copy their abilities. The world is seamlessly connected into one giant map with distinct regions like forests, deserts, mountains, etc. As you traverse these diverse environments, you'll encounter platforming challenges that require careful timing and precision jumps to overcome obstacles such as precarious paths, gaps, vines, and ladders. Some areas feature light physics-based puzzles, like hitting switches to extend paths or using weighted objects to counterbalance platforms. Secret areas with rare resources and creatures encourage thorough exploration.

While exploring, you'll randomly encounter different creatures roaming the environments. By studying their movements and behavior patterns, you can figure out the best way to weaken and defeat them. Once a creature is defeated, you can turn into them and utilize their unique abilities. Higher-level creatures are harder to copy, but you can add multiple creatures to your roster.

The battling system is turn-based, allowing you to fight wild creatures or challenge NPCs. During battles, you can swap between the abilities in your roster that you've gained from battling creatures. This lets you devise strategies based on type matchups and weaknesses. Creatures have unique attack, defense, and support skills. Some moves are better suited for defense, while others excel at depleting an opponent's HP.

The core gameplay loop consists of:

1) Exploring new regions via platforming challenges

2) Encountering new creatures and strategically battling them

3) Copying the abilities of defeated creatures to progress further in the game

Inspiration: 

Game Design Document: 

Game Design Proposal: 

Game Design Proposal Video: 

Reflection: 

Creating a game design for "Beastly Bounds" was an insightful and rewarding experience that allowed me to fully conceptualize the game's unique vision of merging platforming exploration with creature-battling mechanics, though finding the right balance between these genres took some iteration.

Developing the distinctive character and creature concepts, while breaking down the complex mechanics into implementable systems highlighted the importance of detailed planning in game development. 

Throughout the process, I strived to provide comprehensive yet clear documentation that would serve as an effective blueprint moving forward, guiding the implementation phase while minimizing scope creep. Overall, crafting this design document proved an immensely valuable learning experience that will aid my future career in game development.