The game starts with a 'vehicle construction bay' in space and enough resources to build a star ship. Build a ship and cruise around solar systems amongst procedurally generated planets. Choose to do exploration missions for the foundation for cash or start trading resources.

Exploration Missions

The foundation is in need of locals to jump between solar systems checking that everything is in order and discovering new solar systems. Choose from various missions which involve discovering and analysing new planets, assisting security forces and delivering extra supplies to places in need.

Trading

Deploy shuttles down to the surfaces and find resources to harvest. Set up trading routes on planets and between planets. Sell resources to trading posts and consumers. Compete or make deals / partner with other space resource companies.

Some buildable things:

  • Vehicle Construction Bay
  • Energy Collectors
  • Trading Posts / Shops
  • Transport routes

Try to boost sales by marketing resources with billboards and by making deals with advertising companies.

More submissions by benwright for MDS GDV110 - 'One Game a Day' Assignment

An advanced space transport system has been developed which enables high speed transport between the planets of the solar system. Various bases have been built throughout the planets and moons: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond. The transport system includes high speed electromagnetic pathways carrying space vehicles, and high amounts of energy from the sun directly to the planets and space vehicles to power everything. Due to unexpected conflicts of the transport system with anomalies and the electric behaviour of space, the transport routes are constantly being broken.

As part of the maintenance crew your job is to zip up and down the pathways and:

  • Fix broken points in the path
  • Solve electricity flow patterns
  • Rescue stranded vehicles

Each planet / moon contains a maintenance port which can be landed at. Upgrades and new maintenance vehicles can be purchased at these locations. The vehicles have a 'battery' which gives them a specific amount of minutes of being outside of a pathway – powering the ship's repair systems, engines, gravity and shields. This is essential as the ship must not be on a path to do repairs – and this adds a time countdown element to the game.

This is an action / adventure game where the player is on a star ship and is stuck in the simulation deck. The game involves finding ways to get through places, finding people, exploring environments, and multi-layered simulation twists.

Story intro

At 0700 hours in the morning, a tired crew member 'Joe' from engineering of the 'space explorer turbo' decides to visit the simulation deck for some relaxation time. For a change, he requests the computer to create a simulation of the vessel he's in and some enemy vessels to juice things up. Unfortunately the previous user of the simulation deck had managed to corrupt the system, causing safety routines to fail and the system to not respond properly.

As Joe begins to act as captain, he suddenly notices himself being propelled across the bridge as the ship takes a massive hit from one of the enemy ships. He tries to end the simulation, however the system simply carries on.

Overview of events

  • Stuck in ship's simulation deck, in a simulation of the ship, with enemy ships opening fire
  • Captured by enemy ship
  • Breaks free and finds a simulation deck in the enemy ship
  • Gets stuck in that simulation deck
  • Ends up in some remote village
  • Goes through various puzzles and talks to specific people
  • Finally breaks free of the simulation back into the 'space explorer turbo'
  • But it turns out he's in yet another simulation
  • Goes through more puzzles etc.
  • Finale

This is a sci-fi movie game concept which involves playing as a crew member on a star ship in space, in a movie format. The idea is that the player can make choices as what the crew member does next or how they respond to situations, and the story dynamically works around these choices. In this way the game could have lots of 'parts' of stories (with variations based on events) that can click together in many different combinations creating unique semi-player controlled movies.

Realistic camera effects, movement, angles and character animation would be an essential part of giving the right effect to this game. Checkpoints would be useful for cases where the player's choice leads to ultimate disaster.

Interactive things include:

  • Pressing buttons on a console to find relevant information or change the ship's state
  • Responding to other crew members or on the communication screen to other ships
  • Choosing a path to follow

Ideal extras:

  • Traveling down to planets
  • Story recorder – record the stories with an export to video option

New parts of stories could be released as extras post the initial release to continue adding more uniqueness and fun to the stories.

This is a single / multiplayer game with maps like grass patches with lawn mown around the edges, or in some kind of maze formation. The idea is that the player would be controlling one team, but working alongside other teams to defend towns from outside forces. The outside forces include things like wind, storms, rain and birds.

This kind of game could be quite unique and interesting, involving working together in a funny positive game with toys, and with nature elements coming against the players.

Things in the game:

  • Toy soldiers, towns people and vehicles
  • Buildings made out of twigs etc.
  • Several towns which different teams control around the mown patches

Different resources can be collected like:

  • Twigs
  • Blades of grass
  • Pebbles
  • Small Stones
  • Shells

Different types of items and buildings can be built like:

  • Walls and gates
  • Towers
  • Water diverters
  • Scary things to scare off the birds
  • Houses
  • Trees (made out of twigs and leaves)
  • Flax and ferns (made out of grass blades)

This adventure game starts with the main character in a cabin, in snow covered mountains. The door is blocked by snow. The goal is to escape and find a way out of the mountains to safety. At each stage there is a few things to work with, like there may be some tools leaning against a wall and other items which can be picked up and used to solve problems.

The idea is to focus around giving the player a feel of the environment – graphically and sound wise, with some interesting solve and avoidance mechanics. This could be in 3D with the camera following the main character from behind. Walking up to 'collectable' items to pick them up. Then doing actions with the items.

Some obstacles:

  • Wild animals
  • Iced over water
  • Cliffs / holes in the ground

Collectable tools:

  • Shovel
  • Lighter
  • Compass
  • Flare gun

Environment things:

  • Boats
  • Mountain cabins
  • Rivers
  • Waterfalls
  • Swimming under water
  • Climb-able trees
  • Caves

Build and run a train station.

  • Place walls, structures, facilities and foliage
  • Connect rail tracks
  • Hire staff
  • Place shops, carts, movie theatres and other attractions to increase income
  • Build multi-story style with escalators and lifts
  • Cars to drive around large stations

As your train station gets more popular, more incoming and outgoing tracks are automatically added which can be then connected up to the station. Select an era to run the station from, including the 1800s through to today. Set ticket prices to strike the right balance.

Customise your 'station master' person and walk or drive around the station. Talk to staff and customers to increase their happiness levels. Try to get the ultimate rating for your train station out of 10 stars. In addition the game goes through a day and night cycle. A small house can be built for the station master with basic facilities to rebuild his or her energy levels.

This space themed game starts with the player as a crew member of a star ship doing various small missions. An unknown 'planet' to the crew pops up on the radar, which they decide to investigate. Join a small team in a shuttle down to the surface. The crew quickly determine that this is not a planet. It seems to be some kind of enemy outpost filled with robots and robot production lines. However it is too late and the robots have destroyed the shuttle. Battle the team through the robots and machinery with various laser guns and puzzles, to try and find clues as to what is going on, and to get back in contact with the ship. Following this the player can look through the clues gathered and select the next location to go to. The levels could then repeat this general kind of flow through the game. Some levels may involve missions on the ship and others solving mysteries and battling with the enemy.

This is a single / multiplayer game about some toys roaming free in a neighbourhood.

Adventure

A small toy army soldier, helps out some other toys who are looking for lost accessories and stuff. In the process of also looking for the lost items, the toy soldier over hears some dodgy toys that are talking about a 'ship being in'.

Search around houses and backyards finding items and find the dodgy toys' hideout without being noticed. On the way, solve various puzzles and avoid dangerous animals. These animals range from toy lions and bears to full size animals like cats, dogs and lawn mowers.

Ultimately with the other toys, using random odds and ends as weapons, engage in battle against the dodgy toys at their hideout.

Battle mode

Battle it out on the lawn, winning by owning all nodes at once.

  • Take over nodes
  • Build defences around nodes
  • Bring in additional toys into battle
  • Collect power-ups

In addition, dangerous animals are let onto the battle field in waves which target the teams and take ownership of nodes.

This game puts players behind the wheel of hover cars head-to-head in various party-game style competitions. Tournaments can be created which cycle through the games for maximum hilariousness.

Types of party-style games:

  • Racing - race on crazy snow / ice circuits getting huge jumps and massive air, with some arcade kart racing elements like power-ups and turbo boosts
  • Drift - drift on multi-lane tracks with everyone in the competition at once
  • Land on the ice - make jumps over Antarctic waters and attempt to land on the ice
  • Battle - pickup items and use them against opponents in battle arenas, last team standing wins
  • Tag - classic tag
  • Cones - knock the most cones over to win
  • Car Parking - drive fast and drift into car parks without crashing

Some extra things:

  • Teams
  • Customisable paintwork
  • Different modes for each game

Each player can setup a profile which tracks their gained points. This type of local multiplayer play would suit game consoles very well.

In this game the player can patrol desert, country, city, and sky roads, making sure all the hover vehicles are maintaining control and observing the speed limit. Hover car and bike patrol units are available. Once the player has spotted an out of control vehicle, they can activate the sirens and begin pursuit. If the vehicle is robot controlled, extra force may be required to stop the vehicle. Sometimes there may be multiple vehicles out of control at once, the player can either try to handle it or call backup units.

The game consists of multiple levels. In order to get to the next level, at least a set amount of points needs to be gained. The idea is having free roam type levels which continuously run, having things like refuelling stations and allowing the game to be saved at any stage.

Points can be gained through stopping the out of control vehicles. Backup patrol units can be requested which are intelligent at pursuing vehicles, however these take a cut on the amount of points gained for the vehicles that they stop.

Multiplayer would be a nice extra and targeting PC / game consoles.

This is a fairly classic zoo simulator with a unique combination of features - especially focusing on:

  • Building exhibits from the ground up
  • Entering the exhibits and interacting with animals
  • Driving just about any vehicle including safari vehicles and trains

The player can build completely custom exhibits placing fences, setting the ground type, placing trees and things and purchasing the animals. They also can customise their character and walk around the zoo, going into exhibits and driving vehicles.

Customers buying entry tickets to the zoo and using services (like food stands), and potentially missions (for example 'acquire these two animals') would the primary income sources.

The goal is to get the highest rating for the zoo. The rating can be increased through things like:

  • Pleasing crowds by doing tricks with the animals
  • Getting more animals
  • Adding safari style vehicle tours, rail and mono-rail trains
  • Adding extras like food stands, playgrounds etc.

This game would be ideal in 3D for PC. A form of multiplayer would be nice even if it's that the players can visit each other's zoos, trade animals etc.

In a mysterious location, some baddies have been testing out deploying bombs from an underwater vessel. The local bomb-squad have picked up on this through leaked information. In order to protect the local islands and beyond, with speed, a new type of jet plane has been developed, which can fly through the air and through water. The planes are also mounted with anti-bomb plasma containment field technology.

Through a series of missions, the player must manage fighting off the enemy in the air and dive the plane underwater to destroy deployed bombs and ultimately track down the mysterious underwater vessel. The planes can hover and be landed on fuel boats and islands, with the pilot able to exit / enter the cockpit. Some missions may involve detective work talking to locals to try and further uncover the enemy's plans.

Multiplayer is an important feature with a second player being able to drop in and join in with the missions. This game would be ideal in 3D for game consoles and PC, or 2D side on for a more mobile feel to the game.

The great need to provide food for billions of people is ever so increasing. Farmers and techie guys have combined forces to build huge multi-layered farm structures. Build your farms to the sky and produce enormous amounts of food.

Things in the game:

  • Planting
  • Harvesting
  • Elevators
  • Large air transport pods
  • Robotic vehicles / computerisation
  • Link farms together with air rails
  • Build farms out in the open or in the middle of cities
  • Virtual natural paddock simulation for sheep and cattle
  • Automated factory zones for processing harvest / meat

Selling produce is the key means of earning cash and then that can be used to extend the farm and increase tech level. Suitable modes include 'build', 'purchase' and 'run the farm' so it involves the building of structures, purchasing equipment, and then setting everything in motion. This game would be ideal with 3D graphics for PC and game consoles, and with an open-ended simulator style where you can continue to build and expand further building up points and achievements.

This is a platformer style sidescroller or 3d game where a small crew crash land and become stranded on a hi-tech abandoned planet. The ultimate goal is to find a way back to earth. The game consists of multiple levels, with the distance from the ground growing throughout each level. Each level jumps between a different crew member and has slightly different mechanics, for example one crew member may be very strong and can knock down obstacles, whereas another may be more techie, hacking into equipment etc.

Features:

  • Futuristic theme
  • Lots of puzzles
  • Finding gadgets and treasure
  • Moving platforms, keys and unlockable doors everywhere
  • Jumping over gaps on bridges etc.
  • Mysterious events adding an element of suspense
  • Old hi-tech vehicles some of which are still drivable
  • Inside of some buildings accessible

A further concept is having a multiplayer feature which involves each player racing to complete the missions first, gaining the shortest time, or mini-games for example musical chairs on a high up unstable platform.

This is a single / multiplayer action game, involving laser guns and delivering as many plates of food as possible from a restaurant kitchen to awaiting customers. The idea is to get the most points to win against AI or other players. The players can optimise their time by jumping over benches / tables etc. The key challenge here is that malfunctioning robots also with laser guns are continuously entering the restaurant. As well as optimising delivery times, the players must use laser guns to destroy the robots, defend the customers and food. If a player is hit the food is dropped also. Two hits and they're returned to the kitchen. In addition as the players progress through the level, more parts of the restaurant unlock with more customers to defend and serve. There are different levels each having unique restaurants with their own layout and robots coming through the doors.

MDS GDV110 - 'One Game a Day' Assignment

Media Design School's GDV110 students come up with a game idea a day.

daily from 2015-07-21 to 2015-09-11