Game Name Here

Game Design Document

Copyright notice / author information / boring legal stuff nobody likes

Index
Index
1. Index
2. Game Design
a. Summary
b. Gameplay
c. Mindset
3. Technical
a. Screens
b. Controls
c. Mechanics
4. Level Design
a. Themes
i. Ambience
ii. Objects
1. Ambient
2. Interactive
iii. Challenges
b. Game Flow
5. Development
a. Abstract Classes
b. Derived Classes
6. Graphics
a. Style Attributes
b. Graphics Needed
7. Sounds/Music
a. Style Attributes
b. Sounds Needed
c. Music Needed
8. Schedule


Game Design

Summary
Sum up your game idea in 2 sentences. A kind of elevator pitch. Keep it simple!
Gameplay
What should the gameplay be like? What is the goal of the game, and what kind of
obstacles are in the way? What tactics should the player use to overcome them?
Mindset
What kind of mindset do you want to provoke in the player? Do you want them to
feel powerful, or weak? Adventurous, or nervous? Hurried, or calm? How do you intend to
provoke those emotions?


Technical

Screens
1. Title Screen
a. Options
2. Level Select
3. Game
a. Inventory
b. Assessment / Next Level
4. End Credits
(example)
Controls
How will the player interact with the game? Will they be able to choose the
controls? What kind of in-game events are they going to be able to trigger, and how?
(e.g. pressing buttons, opening doors, etc.)
Mechanics
Are there any interesting mechanics? If so, how are you going to accomplish
them? Physics, algorithms, etc.


Level Design

(Note : These sections can safely be skipped if theyre not relevant, or youd rather go about it another
way. For most games, at least one of them should be useful. But Ill understand if you dont want to use
them. Itll only hurt my feelings a little bit.)
Themes
1. Forest
a. Mood
i. Dark, calm, foreboding
b. Objects
i. Ambient
1. Fireflies
2. Beams of moonlight
3. Tall grass
ii. Interactive
1. Wolves
2. Goblins
3. Rocks
2. Castle
a. Mood
i. Dangerous, tense, active
b. Objects
i. Ambient
1. Rodents
2. Torches
3. Suits of armor
ii. Interactive
1. Guards
2. Giant rats
3. Chests
(example)


Game Flow
1. Player starts in forest
2. Pond to the left, must move right
3. To the right is a hill, player jumps to traverse it (jump taught)
4. Player encounters castle - doors shut and locked
5. Theres a window within jump height, and a rock on the ground
6. Player picks up rock and throws at glass (throw taught)
7. etc.
(example)


Development

Abstract Classes / Components
1. BasePhysics
a. BasePlayer
b. BaseEnemy
c. BaseObject
2. BaseObstacle
3. BaseInteractable
(example)

Derived Classes / Component Compositions
1. BasePlayer
a. PlayerMain
b. PlayerUnlockable
2. BaseEnemy
a. EnemyWolf
b. EnemyGoblin
c. EnemyGuard (may drop key)
d. EnemyGiantRat
e. EnemyPrisoner
3. BaseObject
a. ObjectRock (pick-up-able, throwable)
b. ObjectChest (pick-up-able, throwable, spits gold coins with key)
c. ObjectGoldCoin (cha-ching!)
d. ObjectKey (pick-up-able, throwable)
4. BaseObstacle
a. ObstacleWindow (destroyed with rock)
b. ObstacleWall
c. ObstacleGate (watches to see if certain buttons are pressed)
5. BaseInteractable
a. InteractableButton
(example)

Graphics

Style Attributes
What kinds of colors will you be using? Do you have a limited palette to work with?
A post-processed HSV map/image? Consistency is key for immersion.

What kind of graphic style are you going for? Cartoony? Pixel-y? Cute? How,
specifically? Solid, thick outlines with flat hues? Non-black outlines with limited
tints/shades? Emphasize smooth curvatures over sharp angles? Describe a set of
general rules depicting your style here.

Well-designed feedback, both good (e.g. leveling up) and bad (e.g. being hit), are
great for teaching the player how to play through trial and error, instead of scripting a
lengthy tutorial. What kind of visual feedback are you going to use to let the player know
theyre interacting with something? That they *can* interact with something?


Graphics Needed
1. Characters
a. Human-like
i. Goblin (idle, walking, throwing)
ii. Guard (idle, walking, stabbing)
iii. Prisoner (walking, running)
b. Other
i. Wolf (idle, walking, running)
ii. Giant Rat (idle, scurrying)
2. Blocks
a. Dirt
b. Dirt/Grass
c. Stone Block
d. Stone Bricks
e. Tiled Floor
f. Weathered Stone Block
g. Weathered Stone Bricks
3. Ambient
a. Tall Grass
b. Rodent (idle, scurrying)
c. Torch
d. Armored Suit
e. Chains (matching Weathered Stone Bricks)
f. Blood stains (matching Weathered Stone Bricks)
4. Other
a. Chest
b. Door (matching Stone Bricks)
c. Gate
d. Button (matching Weathered Stone Bricks)
(example)

(Note : If youre soloing you might not need to define this part, as you can just use the Derived Classes
+ Themes section as a reference. Its up to you.)


Sounds/Music

Style Attributes
Again, consistency is key. Define that consistency here. What kind of instruments
do you want to use in your music? Any particular tempo, key? Influences, genre? Mood?

Stylistically, what kind of sound effects are you looking for? Do you want to
exaggerate actions with lengthy, cartoony sounds (e.g. marios jump), or use just enough
to let the player know something happened (e.g. mega mans landing)? Going for
realism? You can use the music style as a bit of a reference too.

Remember, auditory feedback should stand out from the music and other sound
effects so the player hears it well. Volume, panning, and frequency/pitch are all important
aspects to consider in both music and sounds - so plan accordingly!


Sounds Needed
1. Effects
a. Soft Footsteps (dirt floor)
b. Sharper Footsteps (stone floor)
c. Soft Landing (low vertical velocity)
d. Hard Landing (high vertical velocity)
e. Glass Breaking
f. Chest Opening
g. Door Opening
2. Feedback
a. Relieved Ahhhh! (health)
b. Shocked Ooomph! (attacked)
c. Happy chime (extra life)
d. Sad chime (died)
(example)

Music Needed
1. Slow-paced, nerve-racking forest track
2. Exciting castle track
3. Creepy, slow dungeon track
4. Happy ending credits track
5. Rick Astleys hit #1 single Never Gonna Give You Up
(example)

(Note : Again, if youre soloing you might be able to / want to skip this section. Its up to you.)

Schedule

(what is a schedule, i dont even. list is good enough, right? if not add some dates i guess)

1. develop base classes
a. base entity
i. base player
ii. base enemy
iii. base block
b. base app state
i. game world
ii. menu world
2. develop player and basic block classes
a. physics / collisions
3. find some smooth controls/physics
4. develop other derived classes
a. blocks
i. moving
ii. falling
iii. breaking
iv. cloud
b. enemies
i. soldier
ii. rat
iii. etc.
5. design levels
a. introduce motion/jumping
b. introduce throwing
c. mind the pacing, let the player play between lessons
6. design sounds
7. design music
(example)