Mage of
Electricity
Embedded Files
Platform: PC, Console
Engine: Unreal Engine
Duration: 6 weeks
Role: Game and Level design
A project about designing a game from scratch to a GDD outline solo designed. This was for the Game Design Course at CG Spectrum. This page will show up all documents I've created with a brief description of them, as well you can find links to see those documents.
This project is purely design documentation, however I came up testing some mechanics in a prototype to help my desgin. I like to support my designs with images or even quick prototypes to get a better understanding of how the design could feel.
If you want to quickly see how the game project was without spending so much time, I highly encourage you to jump to the "Game Pitch Presentation" section and have a look on the presentation.
Project overview
All of the documents of the project may be part of the pre-production phase of a videogame where no assets are created. In addition due to it was made only by me, there's no concept art either.
In this section there's an overview on how I approached the design phases up to a GDD. The next sections are all the documents with a brief description of its creation.
Development process
Mechanics prototype
During the project, even at ideation and documentation phase I made a quick prototype of the core gameplay mechanics that I was interested in trying out and seeing how the feeling of the game could be. It helped me a lot to understand what I wanted to do in the game and keep designing the game. Especially the gravity mechanic (magnetise with any metallic surface) to see how the feeling of the movement was and the use of attracting and repelling objects.
Documentation
Overview of each design document created during the project. Each section has a link to see the full document mentioned.
Brainstorming
During the brainstorming I came up with some ideas which were somehow more interesting than others. I sketched out some images of those ideas to help me get a better understanding.
This brainstorming not only was to have a concept of the game, but also to brainstorm mechanics of the chosen concept, features, possible competition and requirements.
This document includes:
Brief ideas of games
Brainstorming of mechanics/story
Possible competition
Requirements for developing it
Gameplay/features
Game Concept Document
Once the idea of a game was chosen I've started to set up more about the high level information of the game.
While refining that concept information the game pillars were also defined here.
This document includes:
Concept overview
Game summary
Game outline
Key Selling Points
Competitors
Game Vision Document
The concept was clear enough so it was time to refine it even more.
On a high-medium level of information many new concepts are introduced (such as goals and USP), and older concepts are expanded to start fitting better the aproach the project should have.
This document includes:
Thematic Statements
Vision Statement
Concept Statement
Competitive Statement (with USP)
Essence Statement
Core Statement
Goals Statement
Overview Statement
Game Pitch Presentation
Game Pitch Presentation
This presentation meant a lot for the project it was a watershed moment.
While using the same concepts defined in the game vision, the idea of gathering all the information and transform it into a presentation for someone outside the project help a lot to define all the concepts. As well, supported with images that could be concepts or references (I got no concept art because it was only a solo design project) the game instantly took form.
All of that added to the mood of the presentation I came up with, the game got so much sense for me that the design of coming features for the game were much more easier to create.
Game Design Document - Outline
Game Design Document - Outline
Needs no presentation, the widely known and famous in the industry: the GDD!! However, this is an outline, not a full GDD. (sorry for that epic introduction for this)
Since the game was not supposed to be fully developed I've done an outline version highlighting what I think are the most important aspects of the game which represent the story and core gameplay.
This document includes:
Story Summary
Core and secondary mechanics detailed (including the "Electromagnetics System" explained)
Unlockable equipment/gadgets
Playable characters, NPC's and some enemies
Level design flow (beat chart)
5-10 minutes of gameplay explained
Game Design Document - Beat Chart
The Beat Chart was created in order to fit the story and the progress of the player. Using the locations where Tesla lived and following its steps.
This helped to have a clear vision of the levels of the game and where are the abilities unlocked related with story beats.
Design of one level
As a part of the GDD outline I've included one walkthrough of a level. This helped to set better the core mechanics of the game and have an idea of how the walkthrough of the entire game could be.
It's only designed 'on paper' (however a blockout of this level was used in the demo shown at "Mechanics Prototype section")
This document includes:
Visual references (moodboard)
Level blueprint/map
Walkthrough step by step
Thanks for reading this far, hope you have a good day :)
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