Conversation is a first person narrative in which players interact with a series of AIs and try to determine if they are sentient or not.
Players are provided an environment and a subject to converse with. Some are human, some are artificial intelligence. Players must use their environment and logical skills to guide conversation and determine if the subject of their conversation is AI or not. Subjects will being with simple easy targets and will slowly work up to questionable and more difficult subjects, essentially attempting to best equip players to perform Turing Tests
Conversation is designed to make people think about what makes us human and how you could catch an AI on this, something that is regularly attempted by Turing tests. As players advance through levels they will learn the basics of telling AI from Humans but as they delve deeper they will need to apply these basics and strong logic to determine the answers to each scenario.
●Pure Logic Puzzles
●Interesting look at what separates humans from AI
Little Big is a story about a young girl and her adventures with a giant for Virtual reality. Players on take on the role of a giant (Mr. Big) and must carefully move the "Little" a young girl through the environment without directly touching her or letting her fall into the harmful traps and dangers in the areas she adventures in
Little Big takes advantage of the development of VR systems to let players take first person of Mr.Big the giant. Big must shift the map around and use his body to safely ensure she gets from the start of the level to the end without being hurt from the large number of traps and dangerous things throughout the level. Players will do things like using their limbs as makeshift bridges or shifting boulders from the path of the little girl.
Little big is a basic escort puzzler with a twist, adding in the unique roll of Mr. Big who is essentially a scene director? Players must safely get Little from one side to another using their body as a tool to achieve this goal
●Unique Giant mechanic
●Interesting use of VR
Thicket is a third person puzzle game. Players play as twins who ventured into Thicket, a forbidden area of their town accessible by jumping their back fence. When the twins Dorian and Darian get lost in Thicket Darian is drawn into a strange anomaly and disappears. Dorian returns home to find his parents are denying his brother ever existed. He must find a way to get his brother back by venturing through Thicket and unlocking its secrets.
Players progress in sequences as one of the two twins (alternating). Darian is thrown into a strange version of Thicket rife with magic and strange creatures. Darian has to fight to survive and learn to control the wild magic of thicket. Dorian on the other hand must explore and solve the mystery of the technically advanced Thicket he has access to, the remnants of a research facility.
Darian will gain experience through completing activities and level up as the player chooses to assist him in traversing Thicket, changes that Darian makes to his world have a butterfly effect on Dorians world.
Dorian will have to collect information through exploring Thicket and studying outside of Thicket to solve the puzzles that will lead him to finding his lost brother, using the technology in Thicket Dorian can change the version of Thicket Darian is in (such as different monsters or environmental themes).
While levels will begin with sections that only have access to one of the characters later levels will have players use both characters simultaneously by switching between them as needed.
Thicket aims to get characters involved in the narrative, neither protagonist is aware the other is looking for them and the story is told on both sides as they slowing unravel their part in the narrative. Both protagonists offer unique and interesting gameplay based in entirely different settings.
●Unique story told from two perspectives in two different biomes
●Two characters to play as and develop in different ways
●Wide variety of puzzles based on the way characters develop and the different areas they have access to.
Theory is a first person mystery puzzle game designed to play off the popularity of CSI shows in contemporary media. Players take on the role of an asset recovery specialist for Global bank, the only bank in the entire world.
As asset recovery specialist the player's job is to retrieve stolen objects. To do this players investigate sites of thefts and then reverse engineers the method of theft to stop the same method being used and collect potential information about the thieves. Game play has two states, the first is where players investigate scenes with their camera which they use to take pictures and gather information. From there players use the pictures and things they remember from the scene to reverse engineer a machine or scenario that could cause the outcome. They can do this through directing actors or developing machines by combining parts or modelling new parts using photographs they've taken.
The more correct their model is the more clues they get from it. Players compete against a famous band of thieves who are pulling off heists around the world to try and catch them before they meet their unknown goals and disappear.
Theory is a puzzle game based around the popularity of CSI programs mixed with the classical elements of physical puzzling. Players are presented with an outcome (similar to the picture on a puzzle box) and a series of pieces they can combine (again similar to a real puzzle). They twist and hook for players is that there are more pieces than the puzzle needs and players need to use their investigative and observational skills to develop a solution or eliminate incorrect solutions until they can come up with a possible solution to submit. This combined with the fact that players are trying to catch a band of thieves before they disappear creates an intense cat and mouse game common in successful crime based thrillers
●Aspects of traditional physical puzzles
●Draws on popularity of contemporary CSI shows
●Creates a cat and mouse thriller aspect as players hunt a band of thieves
Interior is a first person stealth thriller in which players try to escape an underground earth inhabited by creatures made of living metal. After digging deep into the earth's crust players find themselves and their fellow crew members falling into a second world the "interior sphere" near the earth's core. Bailing from their falling drill craft the crew are scattered around the newly found inner sphere and hunted by strange creatures made of liquid metal.
Players endeavour to find the rest of the crew while escaping the interior sphere. They do this by sneaking through areas around the various threats to them as they proceed. Players are challenged with difficult stealth puzzles requiring players to use everything they can get their hands on to sneak past creatures by creating decoys or sound distractions as well as trying to decipher the strange systems the creatures use (puzzles) to proceed. Players will be faced with survival choices based around who to save and how to proceed which will have meaningful impacts on how the game plays out.
Players will be placed in a hostile alien environment close to the earth's core and populate largely by creatures made of liquid metals. The landscape has very little familiarity to what people would be familiar with and players should feel utterly out of place. This coupled with the hostility of the inhabitants of the interior sphere should set the tone for player's escapes. To control the players stress levels gameplay will be split into chapters which rotate around a familiar hub from that area to help players feel some kind of safety but also accentuate the fear of stepping out of the safety and comfort into a world they do not belong in.
Coupled with this players may need to make difficult decisions. For example as they progress players may come across fellow crew members that may be difficult to save or may hinder the player's progress due to injury or insanity among other things. Most companions will accompany the player for limited periods of time to keep the games atmosphere tense.
●Unique environment
●Intense atmosphere
Silent Light is a real time 2D Side scrolling puzzle game in which players attempt to navigate a group of paper lanterns representing lost souls through a maze using a limited number of tools.
At the beginning of each maze level players start in an unlit area. They must use resources to guide paper lanterns safely from the start of the level to the end, after thirty seconds a breeze begins to blow the lanterns forward. Players can freely place resources within the lit area and so must use the variety of things to help navigate the lanterns safely through the maze by creating things such as fires, fans or ice to move the lanterns in the appropriate way. Some elements may require powering by harnessing water flows in the area.
Silent light is a simple obstacle course escort puzzle game, using calming music and softer lighting and art style to give the gameplay a relaxing feel while still requiring a degree of focus and forethought as the lanterns move forward. Players shouldn't feel they can spend their resources frivolously but shouldn't feel a potential solution is too expensive (unless it's incredibly bad). No additional rewards will be given for having extra resources so as to encourage players to solve puzzles in their own way
●Calming game play
●Simple mechanics
●Open ended puzzles
Little Shop of Golems is a point and click puzzle game, players take on the role of a young sorcerer running a shop selling golems. Golems are magically animated creatures which perform specific tasks. Players will be given jobs to do which they will complete by creating a golem which fills the requirements. The better it fills the requirements the more the player is paid.
Players receive orders with a request for a golem to fulfil a specific task, players are able to reject orders if they find them morally reprehensible or pay not high enough. Occasionally customers will visit the shop directly and the player will be able to engage in conversation and barter with them.
Once they have accepted an order players will combine the variety of materials they have in their possession to create a golem that will fulfil the purposes. They can check on the performance of the golems in test environments however testing will often destroy the golem meaning players will need to spend additional resources to build a version for sale.
Players will need to advance their techniques through a variety of tech trees to be able to keep up with the quality of orders as orders will become harder to fulfil as the game progresses.
The end goal is to run the store for one year as required by the sorcerer's master. If they are unable to succeed in this time then they will be deemed unfit to continue to apprentice under their master.
Little Shop of Golems is a simple point and click combination game, players must manage resources and solve puzzle to match requirements given by customers. Underlying the game seeks to provide an interesting gothic narrative with unique characters and a coming of age story
●Simple gameplay
●Strong narrative
●Unique gothic aesthetic
Summary
The Way She Falls is a 2D platformer focused on light and time. Players play as the king of shadows who is in love with the sun and searches the world trying to find a way to get closer to her. The game focusses on the unique interaction between light and time to create a deep puzzle and platforming experience
Game-play
The Way She Falls is a 2D platformer and puzzle game, players navigate puzzles made of shadow by manipulating light in various different ways. Players move forward by advancing time hence changing the angle of the sun and adjusting the shape of the level. Likewise when players move backwards they reverse the path of the sun, undoing any changes to the shadows but leaving any changes to the level in place but only at that time, for example if the player pulls a lever at one minute into the level the lever will still be pulled, but only at the one minute mark when the player would have.
The king of shadows is also the most powerful of all shadows, able to reach a little way out of his two dimensional existence into the third dimension and alter the objects around the level to change or make new shadows.
In each level players seek out the last rays of the sun to gain a little of her attention and find a way to get closer to her however once the sun is gone players play through moonlit levels, the moon is the suns evil sister and seeks to stop the king of shadows reaching her by sending her own followers after him. In the night levels the king of shadows is weaker and the light changes are out of his control, at the whimsy of the moon. The moon will also send people such as night watchmen with torches or graffiti artists to try and hinder or destroy the king of shadows.
Mindset
The King of Shadows is a basic puzzle games, during the day the players take on challenging puzzles and ideas by manipulating time to get closer to their objective while during the night players face off against the moon in a time trial to test the skills they learn during the day and possibly learning new skills. The two cycles are symbiotic, the day levels teach players to look for certain indicators and types of puzzles helping them to easily identify them when they play the night levels where the light changes out of their control however during the night levels because the moon controls the light the game can show players partials solutions to puzzles that might not be so obvious, providing them the full puzzle during the next day cycle. Using this method to indirectly teach players should help to provide a more refined and rewarding game and hopefully move towards a state of flow by keeping gameplay challenging but giving players all the tools they need to succeed.
Highlights
● Unique use of time and light
● Difficult puzzle solving
● Controlled difficulty curve by teaching mechanics in the two cycles
Summary
Pressure is a fast paced puzzle game in which players struggle to lay pipes on a pre-set map in order to pipe water to a predetermined position, indicated at the start of the game.
Gameplay
Players play on a gridded map and have 10 seconds before water begins to flow, each piece of pipe takes up one square and players are fed random pieces of pipe with the ability to swap one with a saved piece identical to the system found in Tetris. Players being on simple square maps but as they proceed through levels they begin to change shape and have pieces preplaced on them.
Players score extra points by putting water through certain preplaced pieces, using all the pieces they have placed, completing certain patterns on the board or placing on certain squares (similar to scrabble) and for meeting time goals. If the players fail to keep the water in the pipes then they lose the game
Mind-set
Pressure is a simple puzzle game where players compete against the clock. While a form of leader board could be included the game is largely intended to be a simple enjoyable time sink and would likely be marketed to the mobile market. Pressure aims to provide players an enjoyable puzzle situation under a visual time constraint similar to Tetris in nature. To stop the game feeling too unfair in its random piece distribution the swap mechanic helps players to exhibit a degree of control over which piece to use smoothing over this potentially frustrating mechanic. Pressure expects to have players enjoying solving the puzzles but also creates flow by encouraging players to chase high scores with clever plays and use of the provided space
Highlights
● Tetris-esque puzzle situations
● Enjoyable high score chasing
● Simple fast mobile title
Summary:
In Reflection is a first person puzzle game based around perspective, personality and mirrors. Players find themselves in purgatory, the place between Heaven and Hell in the afterlife. As each soul enters purgatory they are given a challenge they must complete to redeem their soul. Failing to do so results in the soul being sent to hell. The player character arrives in purgatory after being hit by a car and is assigned the challenge of finishing a maze designed by the overseers but he must do so while only looking through a mirror they have provided him.
Gameplay:
Players begin by taking a test with the overseer designed to gauge their personality, this would likely be based off of the Briggs-Meyer personality tests. They are then placed in a procedurally generated maze populated with a variety of puzzles. The maze is different every time it is started to provide a unique experience for each player.
The player can only see the maze through the mirror (the maze appears as an expansive white plane when viewed without the mirror. Players will navigate the maze constantly walking backwards to accommodate for this fact.
Players navigate the maze and solve puzzles by altering the way they see things through the mirror. In this world perspective reflects reality and the mirror has a fixed perspective similar to a living painting. For example from a start position down in the mirror is down in reality however when turned 90 degrees the down in the mirror is now the players left, based on this the player now appears to be standing on the wall and as perspective is reality they are in fact standing on the wall. Perspective is reality here and so players will manipulate the maze by altering the positions of the mirror to help them overcome obstacles. Additional puzzles will be present such as other mirrors which you can adjust the position of, using the reflections like a kind of periscope to effectively teleport through space.
Throughout the game players will interact with a variety of denizens of the maze populated based on their answers to the test taken on the start of the game these denizens will be roughly be based on isolated traits of the personality the player portrayed in the test at the start of the game, exaggerated to accentuate the singular nature of them. Denizens can be allies; offering hints and working through puzzles with the players or they can be enemies chasing the player through the maze, scaring them and trying to harm their progress. However all interactions with denizens will shape the maze and the players story as they progress.
Mindset:
In Reflection aims to put the player in an open state of mind by breaking down the traditional boundaries associated with perspective, players should feel like their eyes are constantly deceiving them and they should feel out of place in an entirely foreign world, to accentuate this feeling it would be ideal to use a sterile white environment splashed with colourful out of place set pieces.
By breaking up the traditional ways of thinking about space and our environment the game hopes to put players into an introspective state of mind which when combined with the positive interactions with the mazes denizens should lend a meditative state to game play, while the negative interactions with the nastier denizens should lead to exhilarating chases and high tension encounters.
Ultimately the game aims to make players think about how they approach the world in an entirely new way.
Highlights:
● Tailored player experience, each player will have a unique experience not only in the maze but how they interact with the different denizens present
● Unique perspective based puzzle solving which challenges players to look at directions and space in new ways
● Classical choice based conversations with impacts on the world and the players progress
● A meditative game experience designed to leave players introspective and thoughtful
