KTH Computer Game Design project team 5
The game is about a character who lives in a parallel dimension to ours. A world where gravity is working in different ways and things look different than our world. The main character is a cubanoid (a creature made up of cubes), it lives in a tent on a peaceful flying island. Its island is fruitful with many different climates: water and rivers; sand and earth; trees and fruits, etc. Life in the world of flying islands is peaceful. One day, the cubanoid wakes up and realizes that its island have been split into many pieces. A voice talks to it in a sarcastic and mocking way, telling it that its former home has indeed been split into pieces. The voice tells it that its island is just a small part of what it once was. In the cubanoid's despair, it realizes that its friends, family and properties have been spread out on different parts of the once big island. Where are its properties? Where are its friends? The god-like voice tells him that they are alive on another flying island and that he can get there if he manages to build his way across the islands that are in between. The cubanoid embarks upon a journey to find its friends and family, the only weapon it brings with it is its innovative curiosity.
The journey begins with the cubanoid examining its island (biome) for materials that it can build something to get to another biome. It finds an axe and starts chopping wood from a nearby tree. It also finds some rope and in a short time, the cubanoid have built a bridge to another biome.
On the second biome, it finds some of its best friends stuff. It recognizes the trees as well, this was its best friend's home. By chopping more wood, it realizes that it can combine some nails that are laying around into a ladder. In this way, the cubanoid can climb up to another biome that is soaring just above it.
On this third biome, the climate is somewhat different. There are rivers and waterfalls that makes it harder to get around. There aren't any stuff laying around either - how is it going to make anything here that can take it further? After going back to the previous biome, the cubanoid brings with it a bucket and fills it with the water from the new biome. It waters some flowers that are growing next to it, and all of a sudden, the flowers grows and grows, building a bridge over to a new biome!
Lucky, the cubaoind thinks to itself. The god-like voice laughs at it and says
Well aren't you lucky? Who could have thought that some flowers would take you to the next island - you sure are a clever little cube.
On the fourth island, the cubanoid encounters new problems: there are quicksand that looks life-threatening. And there are no stuff laying around, what should the cubanoid do?
After a while, the cubanoid accidentally gets stuck in the sand and is being drawn down by the force of the quicksand. In its panick it cannot move and is slowly being drawn down to meet the end. But then, something strange happens - the cubanoid sinks through the island and falls down to another one. Now it realizes that this was the best that could happen - it managed to progress through the track of islands accidentally.
And now to the best part, it hears familiar voices from the island next to it. There they are, its friends and family are waving at it from the next island. The cubanoid has almost made it. One last challenge left.
On this fifth island, the cubanoid looks for different things to build or different clues that can take it across to the next island. After being mocked by the god-like voice, it accidentally finds...
Amount of biomes: 6
Different kinds of challenges:
- Chop down wood, combine the wood with rope to build a bridge.
- Chop down more wood, mine minerals from stone, melt minerals to make nails and then combine nails and wood to build a ladder.
- Bring bucket from the previous island, fetch water from the third island and water the flowers to make them grow into a brigde.
- Simply sink through the quicksand.
- Not sure yet..
- Nothing
The story is going to be told by a narrator giving hints, clues, and mocking the player. This way, the player will get small hints on how to solve the puzzles but also getting humoristic comments by the narrator. The idea is that the game won't be very clear, but rather the player needs to explore the different options etc. to understand what the puzzles are and how to solve them. We want to support a mysterious feeling surrounding the gameplay.
- The main cubanoid
- The narrator
On awake:
Hello. You look surprised. Are you wondering what happened to your world? You see, while you were asleep, a giant storm raged all over your world, wreaking havoc and devastation everywhere. The result? As you can see it’s not all destroyed. Over there, yes, right over there! That’s a part of your previous world, and all your friends are gathered there. Yes, yes, you can see it now. Your world has been split into a million pieces! It’s not all for nothing, though. You can still reach them if you want. But you will have to be both inventive and curious to succeed. You see, your belongings are spread around and you can use them to find your way back to them. And don’t worry, I will be here for you, watching, guiding you. Hmm.. Yes.. Good luck my friend.
On bridge built:
Well look at you! You managed to build a bridge. You look like you could be an engineer! Now let’s see what else you can manage.
On ladder built:
I am surprised, you actually managed to solve this little puzzle as well.Although that ladder looks a bit unstable. Are you sure you want to proceed? I guess you can manage without your friends and family, right? Think of this way, now you have your very own island - how great isn't that?
On flowers watered:
Oh my, that took forever. Have you never watered your flowers before? If you so desperatly want to find your family, then carry on please, I haven't got all day!
When the character has sunken through the quicksand:
Well you're an inventive little one, aren't you? You sure looked surprised when you couldn't find anything up there - haha, that was too fun... But wait, what is this? I can hear some familiar voices! Look there, yes right there - there they are, waving at you. You sure are close now!
When final island is reached:
You did it! You actually did it! Wait, why I am cheering? I don't care. Oh well, nicely done little cube, you did well! I guess I'll be on my way then.. I guess it was fun seeing you, it sure can get a little lonely here in my vacuum. I guess I could come around to harass you some more. Would you like that, ha-ha-ha? Oh you would? Oh.. Well, yeah I guess I could then. All right, I'll stay around a little longer.