Game Design Document #124
Description
Game Title
YAS: Legends of the Eclipse
Overview
YAS: Legends of the Eclipse—short for "Yet Another Survivor"—is a fast-paced fantasy game inspired by the popular Vampire Survivors genre. The title nods to the game's energetic and engaging tone, while embracing a touch of self-deprecating humor that playfully acknowledges its place in the growing wave of survivor-style games. Players fend off waves of enemies, collect power-ups, and unlock unique abilities, all while exploring diverse stages themed around iconic fantasy characters.
Whimsical chaos paired with snarky one-liners—you’re welcome.
Game Premise
The Eclipse, a mysterious celestial event, has unleashed hordes of colorful, absurd (yet dangerous) creatures across the realm. Heroes from all walks of life unite to fend off the chaos, wielding delightfully over-the-top abilities to protect the realm. Story elements are revealed through witty one-liners on loading screens and through flavor text attached to items, offering humorous commentary on genre tropes and the player’s journey.
Saving the realm one sarcastic quip at a time.
Gameplay
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Core Gameplay:
- Players control a single hero and navigate waves of comically exaggerated enemies.
- Semi-Random Enemy Waves:
- Enemy waves are semi-random, blending predictability with unpredictability. Players can develop strategies based on certain enemy patterns while still adapting to surprises.
- For instance, weaker enemies may appear predictably, followed by the occasional unexpected swarm.
- Subtle narrator pop-ups may comment on these surprises, like, “You thought you were prepared? That’s adorable.”
- Collect experience (or "magical essence") to level up and acquire abilities with hilariously dramatic names (e.g., "The Fireball of This Is Fine").
- Dodge goofy-but-deadly enemy attacks while maximizing hero powers.
- Loading screens may include remarks like, “Hope you’re ready for the gnomes. Spoiler: You’re not.”
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Progression:
- Stages unlock sequentially, with increasingly ridiculous challenges and enemies.
- Boss battles cap each stage, unlocking the next area upon victory. Boss descriptions in loading screens may humorously exaggerate their power, such as, “Gnome King Tinklesnout: Very loud. Very grumpy. Surprisingly fast.”
- Between stages, visit the "Totally Balanced Relic Shop" to buy upgrades with descriptions like, “This relic is probably worth the price.”
Art Style
- Cartoon Visuals: Inspired by the quirky charm of Plants vs Zombies, every character, enemy, and stage bursts with personality through exaggerated features, vibrant colors, and playful animations.
- Characters: Heroes have whimsical designs, such as the Wandering Bard wielding a hilariously oversized lute or the Vampire Slayer with perpetually dramatic hair and cape.
- Enemies: Expect creative, humorous designs like grumpy gnomes wielding pitchforks, flying books with bookmarks for wings, and fiercely frowning cabbages.
- Backgrounds: Each stage is rich in playful details, reinforcing the humor of the environment. For example, the Field of Gnomes may feature overturned garden tools and gnome statues holding signs like, “Down with heroes!”
- UI: Clean and cartoonish, with hand-drawn icons and quirky animations for tooltips like, “Press this button to unleash chaos. You’re welcome.”
Characters and Stages
Each stage features a unique hero, enemies, and boss, enhanced by humorous flavor text and loading screen one-liners.
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Stage One: The Field of Gnomes
- Hero: Wandering Bard
- Abilities: Musical attacks (lute strums with shockwaves), poetic hexes, and healing melodies.
- Enemies: Mischievous gnomes wielding tools far too large, animated gardening equipment, and angry cabbages.
- Boss: Gnome King Tinklesnout on his wild lawnmower.
- Stage Objective: Calm the gnome uprising and reclaim the field.
- Loading Screen Example: “Gnomes may be small, but they hold grudges—and rakes.”
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Stage Two: The Mage’s Sanctum
- Hero: Arcane Mage
- Abilities: Fireballs, frost nova, and arcane beams.
- Enemies: Nervous flying books, magical constructs that look like they could topple over, and rogue sorcerers with overly dramatic gestures.
- Boss: Ancient Spellbinder floating on a book throne.
- Stage Objective: Protect the sanctum and defeat the rogue spellcaster.
- Loading Screen Example: “Never trust a book that fights back.”
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Stage Three: The Elven Forest
- Hero: Ranger
- Abilities: Rapid-fire arrows, ensnaring roots, and nature bursts.
- Enemies: Treants with exaggerated frowns, evil squirrels that throw acorns, and shadowy elves glaring with smug superiority.
- Boss: Darkwood Sentinel, a brooding tree guardian.
- Stage Objective: Free the forest from corruption.
- Loading Screen Example: “The trees may whisper secrets—but mostly insults.”
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Stage Four: The Dwarven Forge
- Hero: Battle Engineer
- Abilities: Explosive gadgets, mechanical contraptions, and hammer swings.
- Enemies: Patchwork golems, fiery spirits with dramatic gestures, and rebellious dwarves wielding poorly made weapons.
- Boss: Infernal Forge Master, hammering with fiery precision.
- Stage Objective: Recover the Heart of the Forge.
- Loading Screen Example: “Dwarves forge weapons. Golems forge regret.”
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Stage Five: The Vampire’s Crypt
- Hero: Vampire Slayer
- Abilities: Holy magic, silver stakes, and healing auras.
- Enemies: Vampires posing dramatically, ghouls with unnerving smiles, and shadow beasts stumbling over themselves.
- Boss: Vampire Lord with an extravagantly oversized cape.
- Stage Objective: Seal the crypt and banish the Vampire Lord.
- Loading Screen Example: “Vampires hate garlic. And your confidence.”
Sound Design
- Quirky, cartoon-inspired sound effects: squeaky gnomes, slapping cabbages, and satisfying "pop" sounds for magic projectiles.
- Stage-specific background music blending whimsical and heroic tones with playful instrumentation.
- Hero voiceovers adding dry humor, like "I’m not paid enough for vegetable wars."
Features
- Semi-Random Waves: Balanced predictability and unpredictability keep gameplay fresh while rewarding strategic thinking.
- Achievements: A vast collection of achievements encourages exploration and humor. Examples include:
- “Lawnmower Whisperer”: Defeat Gnome King Tinklesnout without taking damage.
- “Book Club Reject”: Destroy 100 flying books in the Mage’s Sanctum.
- “Angry Greens”: Defeat 50 angry cabbages in the Field of Gnomes.
- “Why Are You Still Here?”: Survive 100 waves in endless mode.
- Challenges: Endless survival mode with progressively tougher waves and witty achievement names.
Narrative Elements
- Story is revealed through loading screen one-liners and flavor text on items, such as:
- Loading Screen: “Welcome to the crypt. Don’t trip over the drama.”
- Item Flavor Text: “This lute once charmed dragons. Use it wisely—or don’t.”
Target Platform
- PC, consoles, and mobile devices, with a playful loading screen saying, “Wait for it… Okay, now you can suffer.”
Monetization
- Base game purchase.
- Optional expansions featuring new stages and heroes humorously marketed as “More chaos for your collection.”
How does this final version align with your vision? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like tweaked!