Accidental Savior

Natalia Kurpiel, Jayce Jemison, Chimene Minshew

 Collaborative Section

CS 319 Proposal –Due Wednesday 2/24

1) Group -Elevator Pitch
This is a game plan, storyline, and concept art piece that explores the concept of a thief
inadvertently determining the course of a magical apocalypse.

2) Group -Title of your project

Accidental Savior?

3) Group -Full names, as shown in the class roster plus preferred names, of all participants
Natalia Kurpiel
Jayce Jemison
Chimene Minshew

4) Group -1 page 4-5 paragraph descriptive proposal of what you intend to do as a team for
this project

We will be creating a cross between a platformer and a visual novel in which the player
acts as a thief who explores various areas while stealing objects and finding clues that reveal
more information about how and why the apocalypse occurred, and the various forces at play.
We want to explore the idea of choice and unintended and/or unexpected consequences that lead
to the fate of an entire world. We would also like to create two opposing sides, but make it
unclear which side is acting as heroes vs. villains, exploring the dichotomy between good and
evil.
We will be creating a full branching storyline, character concept art, environment concept
art, and art assets. Ideally we will also create a working level, but our main initial goal is to fully
develop the storyline and concept art.
The game art will be 2D non-pixel art, with slightly simpler 2D graphics for the
platformer section and more intricate artwork for the visual novel/dialogue scenes. The player
will be able to talk to different characters and choose among several different responses,
affecting the storyline. Additionally, walking up to some objects will generate a new screen
where the player can investigate various props and read descriptions and/or clues.
When it comes to making this game playable, we will be using whichever game
development tools or software we decide is most appropriate to work with in the given time
frame. This decision is in the process of being made, as we are conducting research and
clarifying our collective vision.
Brainstorming and Art Inspiration
Ideas:
A Platformer
Visual Novel
Possibly one working level or a skeleton

Combining a platformer with a visual novel - talking to characters generates a visual-novel type
screen with more details, text, the ability to choose a response

Potential aesthetics/artistic inspiration

https://cgsociety.org/news/article/4781/creating-stylized-game-assets-with-ashleigh-warner

More art inspiration:

Maybe a cartoony/comic style?

Possible game formats (2D)

Maybe something like Don’t Starve, or Among Us?
(2D view from above)
Isometric
Platformer:

Hollow knight
Visual novel
 Production Schedule
Meetings: Fridays at 2:40
3/3 Basic storyline
1 character concept
Basic environment set up (Unity)

3/10 3 more character concepts?

Environment concept
First draft of dialogue for intro
Character controller script(jumping)

3/17 First draft of full branching storyline with dialogue choices

First area map (planned fully)
Implement basic character controls (jump, move left, right)

3/24 Background art assets

Movable main character test asset
First draft of item descriptions
Camera scrolling implemented
Platforms implemented

3/31 Main character run/jump animations

Final dialogue and item descriptions for demo level
Integrate character test asset with pre-existing controls

4/7
Apply animations to main character (playable to some extent)

4/14 Other character assets

Object art assets (?)
1 interaction of main character with object implemented
Implemented Goals:
● Deciding on the setting
● Basic storyline
● Intro scene with dialogue options in Twine
● Demo level in Unity
● Main character concepts/sketches
● Programming - the basics of a platformer working - being able to move a box around a
screen with arrow keys, being able to jump with the spacebar
○ (later replacing the box and background with art assets, animations)
● Item concepts
● Dialogue
● Character jumping animation
● Character walk animation
● Building art assets
● Object art assets
● Some visual-novel type illustrated scenes
● Game mechanics/character controls
○ Character movement
○ Walking
○ Jumping

Conceptual Goals and Questions

● What types of monsters/traps are there?
○ Basic environmental hazards? (Lava, etc.)
● Characters present in levels
○ Walking up to a character and having a new screen pop up (with illustrations and
dialogue boxes)
○ Being able to select dialogue options that lead to different outcomes
■ Counter towards/against saving the world
■ Different responses lead to different dialogue
● Character running animation/walk cycleItem descriptions/clues
○ Walking up to an object and having the description pop up?
○ Walking up to an object and having a new screen pop up (with more detailed
illustrations (maybe similar to task objects in Among Us?)
○ Being able to collect/steal objects?
● Short object animations
● Monster run/jump animations?
● Game mechanics/character controls
○ Character movement
○ Running
○ Wall jumping
○ Changing jump direction midair?
○ Double jump
○ Grappling hooker jetpack? (something to give height)
 ○ Responsiveness
● User Interface design
● Sound design - maybe one of our last or optional goals?
● Sound - Narration/dialogue/voice acting
○ Toggle on/off
● Black and white mode
● No monsters/no traps mode
Storyline
Interdimensional collision with a magical world
- Why is the thief stealing?
- They’ve heard that stuff from the other dimension sells for a seriously high
price and they just need to pay rent.
- This may have negative consequences like the stuff being
dangerous/poisonous/etc
- Or it may have positive consequences like speeding up
research/closing a portal/restoring a piece of land back to
normal/etc.

Keywords:
Thief
Platformer
Visual novel
End of the world
Saving the world
Accidental world-saver

Interdimensional collision with a magical world

- A portal has formed on earth that is letting in magical creatures and monsters from
another dimension who want to take over the earth
- What types of creatures live in this magical world?
- Monsters
- faeries/elves/orcs/dwarves etc.
- Demons?
- Magical creatures that can take the form of humans and other creatures?
- Some creature could be disguised as a human trying to lead the
thief into destroying the world instead of saving it
-
- What items is the thief stealing from this world?
- Materials for researchers?
- Treasure-esque items to sell?
- Both?
- Why is the thief stealing?
- They’re trying to speed up research about this other dimension to stop the
takeover of earth
- Antidotes for poisons, weaknesses of magical creatures and the
like
- They’ve heard that stuff from the other dimension sells for a seriously high
price and they just need to pay rent.
- Possible plot points:
- Monsters are randomly appearing on earth
 - inanimate objects are suddenly gaining sentience
- Areas of the earth are overlapping with another dimension at random,
causing magical creatures to appear on earth and earth’s creatures to
teleport to a foreign landscape
- Magical creatures appearing on earth is just generally causing
chaos
- Shifting landscapes
- New and unknown poisonous plants, dangerous creatures, magical
afflictions/curses etc.
- There are multiple areas to explore, but choosing to go right or left to a
new area does not always generate the same scene/setting, due to the
interdimensional collision (sometimes you end up in the other world,
sometimes your neighborhood seems to shift around, everything is
scrambled)
- Occasionally the screen glitches/shakes and you find yourself on a new
map, perhaps being chased by monsters
- Sometimes you pick something up and become afflicted with a random
curse, which may have negative consequences or just some really bizarre
but harmless effects
- There’s a new clinic set up specifically for curing magical maladies
- (That the thief can visit)

- Characters/factions trying to influence the thief towards destroying the world

- Disguised magical creature trying to subtly guide the thief towards world
destruction
- Undisguised magical creature appealing to the thief that they’re not going
to destroy the world, or insist that its the only way to save their own world
- An (evil) corporation is conducting unethical research on some magical
creatures, and they are asking you to capture some creatures for them
- A group of humans who seek world destruction are trying to assist the
most destructive magical creatures and open up portals connecting earth
to the most dangerous places in the alternate dimension

- Characters/factions trying to influence the thief towards saving the world

- A scientist wants some samples of materials from the magical dimension
to further their research towards closing the portals

- Possible in-game events/side stories:

Random neighbor requests help getting groceries
- Character goes to the grocery store (the cashier has blue skin and some
very very sharp teeth, how odd...)
- You can walk around the store and pick stuff up
- The fruits are staring at you [literally, they have eyes for some
reason]
- Pay for the groceries?
- Yes
- No (steal)
- No ---> the cashier is now chasing you, the groceries have turned
evil as well
- (you thought you were picking up apples but it turns out those are
actually small carnivorous creatures)
 Discussion Notes

1) Consider the current world climate – how does your game or game design project
impact/inform remote learning/human isolation/need for human interaction due to the pandemic
and forced social distancing and/or isolation?

- End-of-world setting, similar to current world climate

- “Human” interaction with characters through visual novel sections
- Accessible to people who are at home/in isolation, doesn’t require a group of people like
board games
- A possible immersive learning environment? - decision-making, analysis,
problem-solving?

2) Consider representational inclusivity – how does your game or game design project
consider and dive deep into the notion of inclusivity/accessibility/diversity/gender?
- Accessibility - no traps no monsters mode, black and white version, open dyslexic font,
option for key remapping
- Inclusivity/diversity/gender -
- Ambiguously-gendered player character
- The characters will have a diverse range of appearances, personalities, and
goals, + diverse gender representation
- Some characters will have unrealistic skin and hair colors because part of the game is
set in a magical world
- Conceptually, we would want to have filters that disable different colors
- The game is playable in black and white
- We would want the game to have voiceovers or text-to-speech
- captions/visual effects for sound effects (sound effects echoed in visual atmosphere)
- Directional
-

3) Consider audience inclusivity – who is the game for? How do you take into account
technology accessibility/internet accessibility/emotional or social accessibility/etc in how a
potential audience can access or experience your game as you intend

Accessibility
- turn off traps/monsters/etc to have a story-only mode
- Open dyslexia font (now in drive)
- colorblind/black+white mode
- Key reconfiguration
Game Design: Programming

Things to include:
● Character that can move left/right
● Moving diagonally when jumping
● 2D side view
● Jumping
● Gravity (being able to fall)
● A bag in the corner of the screen that you can click on to view inventory
● Interact with objects
● Walk past an object and have an option to pick it up
○ Walking past an object triggers a text box with a yes/no option to pick it up

Control Scheme:
Left: A
Right: D
Jump: W
Yes (Pick up object): Y
Decline to pick up object: N
Talking to an NPC/using a door: Spacebar
- Note: does pressing A and W at the same time make you jump diagonally?

If we have time:
Should we have a dash control?

Open inventory: I (toggles an overlay of the inventory)

Hovering over an object with the mouse in the inventory shows a description
Examine/interact with an object in the inventory: E? (while hovering over the object with the
mouse?)

Choosing dialogue options (when talking to a character in a visual novel type scene):
Select options with mouse click

Inventory will probably need a lot of focus, adaptive and responsive GUI with a lot of
components in unity can end up requiring a fair amount of logic to handle. Text boxes and a
press 1 for option 1 would probably be a fair bit easier but probably also less pretty, and I should
probably stop avoiding proper modern GUI’s eventually so would be happy to help -Michael
 Character Sheet
Player Character: Charon
Normal young adult turned magical thief in order to get enough money to pay rent this
month. Sought out by multiple parties by virtue of their skills at recovering magical
artifacts. Unknowingly holds the power to save the world or doom it.

Major NPCs:

Disguised magical creature trying to subtly guide the thief towards world destruction
- Posing as a rare item collector, buys items for high prices
- There’s something… off about them but comes off as eccentric
- Name: Charles

Undisguised magical creature appealing to the thief that they’re not going to destroy the
world, or insist that it’s the only way to save their own world
- Doesn’t actually know if the dimensional crash is going to destroy either world but
is desperate to save their own regardless
- Can’t actually pay very much money (gives like exact rent) but will give the player
character different magic items in exchange, like spell books or weapons
- Name: Tethys

An (evil) corporation is conducting unethical research on some magical creatures, and

they are asking you to capture some creatures for them
- The representative just looks like an office worker, pays well
- Kinda gives off secret agent vibes, super sketchy
- Name: Claire

A group of humans who seek world destruction are trying to assist the most destructive
magical creatures and open up portals connecting earth to the most dangerous places
in the alternate dimension
- A super sketchy person who claims to be in an organization studying the
dangerous magical creatures and portals
- Pays a lot cause they know that if their plan succeeds, money has no value since
the world ends
- Organization name: Order of the Specters
- Individual contact names: Riva & Oleander

A scientist wants some samples of materials from the magical dimension to further their
research towards closing the portals
- Mad scientist-esque persona, but actually cares very deeply about the world and
its inhabitants
- Very up-front and excited about their experiments and always asks the player
character if they’d like to watch
 - Name: Dr. Ariel
- (alternately, Dr. Alda?)

Minor NPCs:

- Landlady
- Neighbor(s)
- Ms. Marigold (Demon Cats side-story)
- Nurse/Medic at the clinic
o Nurse Ayuna
▪ (alternately, Valerie?)
- Spooky victorian child who is actually a monster in disguise: Timofey
 Writing (Jayce Jemison)

Intro Cutscene
Background: Small apartment, dimly lit and filled with houseplants
*Alarm clock blares*
Charon: Alright, alright, I’m awake!
Charon: Why is that even set? I don’t have any classes today-
*Knock knock*
Options:
- Answer the door
- Ignore the knocking

Answer the door:

Landlady: Good morning, Charon. I noticed that there was no check for rent delivered to me
this month, so I came to pick it up myself.
Charon (Internally): Oh no… I don’t have nearly enough money to pay this today. I can barely
afford food right now!
Charon: O-oh, was that due today? Do you suppose I could have just a few more days to get it
together?
Landlady: *Sigh* By the end of the week, Charon. You’ve missed too many payments already,
any more and you will be evicted. Understood?
Charon: Yes ma’am.
Landlady: Good. I will see you on Friday.

Ignore the knocking:

Landlady (not on screen): Charon! I know you’re in there! Rent was due this morning, I need it
by Friday or you’re out!
Charon (Internally): Oh great. I can barely pay for food right now, how am I supposed to pay
rent by Friday?

Both options lead here

Background: Apartment building hallway
Charon: Might as well ask around to see if any of the neighbors need anything done. Even
pocket change helps at this point. Might as well just go down the hall first.
*Knock knock*
Neighbor: Why hello there, Charon! What can I do for you?
Charon: I was just wondering if you had any chores or errands that I could help you with. I’m
late on rent and I’m just trying to scrounge up a little more money.
Neighbor: I see, I see. Well, you have perfect timing as I have to go grocery shopping today but
I’m running late for an online meeting. I’ll give you the money and pay for the time, and you can
keep what’s left of the grocery money. Sound okay to you?
Charon: Absolutely! I’ll go right now.
Neighbor: Fantastic. Here’s the list and the money. Thank you so much, dear.
Background: City street
Charon: I should have some extra leftover money after this. It’s a start, at least.
*Crunch*
Charon: What’s this…?
Background: Glittering blue scales cupped in a pair of hands wearing pink fingerless gloves
Charon: What are these? I’ve gotta look this up when I get home.
Background: City Street (again)
Charon: Then I take a right on this street-
???: Excuse me. Excuse me!
Charon: Hm?
???: You look like the adventurous type!
Charon: Thanks?
???: Do you happen to have anything magical in nature that you’d be willing to let me take off
your hands?
Charon: Any what?
???: Magical artifacts, parts of magical creatures, anything otherworldly in nature?
Charon: Well, I have these.
Background: Glittering blue scales cupped in a pair of hands wearing pink fingerless gloves
(again)
???: Oh! Those are perfect! How much do you want for them?
Charon: How much?
???: I’ll buy those off of you in cash right now. How about, hmmm, $1,000?
Charon (internally): $1,000?! That’s almost my entire rent for this month! And all I have to do is
give him these scales I found on the ground?
Options:
- Take the $1,000
- Barter for more money
- Barter to keep a scale
- Refuse the $1,000

Take the $1,000

Charon: Deal.
???: Excellent! Here’s your money as promised.
- Unusual Scales
+ $1,000
Charon: …
Charon: That was incredibly easy. Magical stuff sells for that high a price? I’m sure I can find
more of it if I look hard enough.

Barter for more money

Charon (internally): Maybe I can get my entire rent out of this guy if I play my cards right.
Charon: Oh please, these are worth more than that. Or don’t you want them?
???: Very well then. Name your price.
Charon: $1,500
???: 1,250?
Charon: Good enough. Pleasure doing business with you.
- Unusual Scales
+ $1,250
Charon (Internally): If I make a deal like that every month I’m set for rent for life! And all I have
to do is find weird magical stuff? Sign me up!

Barter to keep a scale

Charon: I’ll take the $1,000, as long as I can keep a single scale.
???: I suppose that’s only fair. You have yourself a deal.
- Unusual Scales
+ $1,000
+ Single Unusual Scale
???: Please do keep me in mind if you ever have anything else!
Charon: Y-yeah, will do.
Charon (Internally): Great, I got money and I still get to look this up when I get back. Maybe I
can find out where to get more of these things.

Refuse the $1,000

Charon: Sorry, I’d like to hang onto these right now.
???: Well, it was worth a shot. Keep me in mind if you change your mind.
Charon (Internally): If he wanted that much for them, maybe I can get even more money from
someone that wasn’t some random guy on the street. Plus, I wanna see what these are.

Background: Small apartment, dimly lit and filled with houseplants

If Charon has “Unusual Scale(s)” (Barter to keep a scale; Refuse the $1,000):
Charon: That was strange. Maybe I can reverse image search these.
*Pause; typing sounds*
Charon: Dragons? Sea Serpents? On an actual news site, too. What’s going on?
Charon: “Worlds Collide: A dimensional crash had rocked the landscape of Pastel City.
Dimensional portals have begun appearing all over the city, letting seemingly magical creatures
roam the earth. Scientists researching these rifts have warned the general public to avoid these
portals at all costs. However, the prices for magical artifacts and materials have skyrocketed due
to the demand of scientists and collectors alike.”
Charon: So all I have to do is wander around near these portals and collect stuff? That’s
basically free money! I can totally pay rent by Friday with this!

If Charon does not have “Unusual Scale(s)” (Take the $1,000; Barter for more money)
Charon: So close to paying rent already. A shame there wasn’t that much grocery money left
over. I guess I can sit down for a little bit.
*Phone ding*
Charon: Hm? Breaking News? I didn’t think I had those alerts turned on.
Charon: “Worlds Collide: A dimensional crash had rocked the landscape of Pastel City.
Dimensional portals have begun appearing all over the city, letting seemingly magical creatures
roam the earth. Scientists researching these rifts have warned the general public to avoid these
portals at all costs. However, the prices for magical artifacts and materials have skyrocketed due
to the demand of scientists and collectors alike.”
Charon: So that’s what the scales were about! And there’s more people willing to pay money for
them besides that weird guy on the street. If I find anything else this week I could be set for rent
and have enough money to get something extra! This’ll be so easy!

Twine implementation (interactive intro scene)

(Screenshot)

Link to Finished Twine-Implemented Scene (Download to play):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Ke5DCJWNyP-6z65iB-nlE7vQ548c9Eo/view?us
p=sharing
Locations with Items & Characters
Location Characters Present Item Y/N Item(s)

Charon's Apartment Building Landlady, Neighbor No

Clinic Nurse Ayuna No

Hidden Hideout Tethys No

Sketchy Meet-Up Spot Charles No

Dark Alleyway Riva, Oleander No

Secret Labratory Dr. Ariel No

Ms. Marigold (after something
else is completed, starts
City Square Demon Cats Side Story) Yes Crimson Uranlinite

City Square (Glitched) Yes Panflute of the Winds

Timofey (after something else
Abandoned Apartment is completed, starts another
Complex Side Story) Yes Phoenix Feather

Abandoned Apartment
Complex (Glitched) Yes Basilisk Scales

Community Garden Yes Singing Thyme Leaves

Commnuity Garden (Glitched) Yes Fairy Dust

Palette Lake Yes Mermaid's Tears

Palette Lake (Glitched) Yes Unicorn Hair

Pastel City Park Yes Dancing Belladona Seeds

Pastel City Park (Glitched) Yes Traveller's Oak Branch

Item List
Item Item Location Item Description
A bright red gemstone that does
not exist in our world. The core
Crimson Uranlinite City Square seems to emit a strange glow.
A magical panflute. The
inscription is untranslatable, but
appears to be referencing some
amount of control over the
Panflute of the Winds City Square (Glitched) direction of the wind.
A single feather from the
immortal firebird. Handle it with
Abandoned Apartment care, lest you light yourself on
Phoenix Feather Complex fire.
A few scales of a basilisk, a
Abandoned Apartment large serpent creature said to
Basilisk Scales Complex (Glitched) cause death with its eyes alone.
A few sprigs of Singing Thyme.
When the wind whistles through
its leaves, a soft melody can be
Singing Thyme Leaves Community Garden heard.
Fairy dust. It just looks like glitter
Commnuity Garden to you, but apparently its
Fairy Dust (Glitched) magical properties are endless.
A few teardrop-shaped pearls.
Whether these are actual tears
from a mermaid or just oddly
Mermaid's Tears Palette Lake shaped pearls is unknown.
A single strand of hair from the
mane of a unicorn. When held at
just the right angle, light will
reflect off of it to create a
Unicorn Hair Palette Lake (Glitched) rainbow.
A handful of seeds from Dancing
Belladona flowers. When fully
grown, these flowers twirl
around at the slightest
provocation, giving them their
Dancing Belladona Seeds Pastel City Park title of Dancing.
A stick from an oak tree.
Interdimensional portals seem to
pop up more frequently around
Traveller's Oak Branch Pastel City Park (Glitched) these trees.
Programming (Chimene Minshew)
(screenshot)
Artwork (Natalia Kurpiel)
Optional side story concept: Demonic Cats Arc
There’s a pet adoption center in town that you have the option of visiting.
Enter → you appear inside the pet shelter → Ms.Marigold walks up to you
Ms.Marigold: Hello! Welcome to the Pastel City pet shelter!
…
“We’ve been busier than usual lately so I’m afraid I have some paperwork I need to fill out, but
feel free to take a look around and let me know if you’d like to adopt!”

[end conversation]

The adoption center consists of a large room as well as some random other rooms scattered
throughout - an office, storage room, etc.
There is a group of cats sleeping in the corner of the room
If you walk up to them, it triggers a close-up visual - they all look a bit similar to:

“Adopt us” appears written on the screen as all the cats stare at you.

Of course, you think.

I must adopt these cats.
That is a great idea. I must adopt all of them and take them home and be their servant fore-
[fade to black]

Ms.Marigold suddenly reappears!

“Is everything okay? You’ve been standing here for a while.”

(...What just happened?...)

…
“Oh, I see you’ve met our cats! Jackie, Soba, Ã̴̝̏̕͜ ẓ̷͉̱̝̃̐͜ a̶̲̅͊͘ŗ̶͓̳̹̬̀̾̀͆ ǒ̷̫̔̌̕͠ ̝̙̣̼̅͝t̷ḧ̶̟́͗̚ , and Mouse!
“Might you perhaps be interested in adopting?”
a) Yes
b) No

Select Yes → “Oh wonderful, wonderful. Who would you like to adopt?”
- Jackie
- Soba
- Ã̴̝̏̕͜ ẓ̷͉̱̝̃̐͜ a̶̲̅͊͘ŗ̶͓̳̹̬̀̾̀͆ ǒ̷̫̔̌̕͠ ̝̙̣̼̅͝t̷ḧ̶̟́͗̚
- Mouse

→ Anyone else?
 - Jackie
- Soba
- Ã̴̝̏̕͜ ẓ̷͉̱̝̃̐͜ a̶̲̅͊͘ŗ̶͓̳̹̬̀̾̀͆ ǒ̷̫̔̌̕͠ ̝̙̣̼̅͝t̷ḧ̶̟́͗̚
- Mouse
- That’s all
→ That’s all
- You look at the other cats. Their pupils seem to be spinning and
you start to feel dizzy.
- (fade to black)
- You wake up in your home and all four cats are there.

Select No → You adopt all the cats. You have no choice.

(You wake up in your home and all four cats are there.)