P5 a- treatment

Format:  Video Game

Working Title: Bedlam

Genre: The game will be an RPG/puzzle solving game. The games difficulty will increase throughout making puzzles more complex. It also has a strong story element to it which is prominent throughout the game with the narrative linking in each puzzle with each other.

Synopsis: The game follows Colt the protagonist of the game, who has the ability to enter other people’s nightmares. There are 4 different worlds based around 4 characters you meet at the start of the game; it will involve you solving puzzles in order to release each character from their nightmare so that you can progress. There is a butterfly effect in motion meaning whether the character lives or dies is down to you.

Style or Approach: The game will be very detailed and will be in a 2D style. The game will start off in bright colours whilst the characters are black and white, but upon entering the nightmares the colours switch and the world becomes black and white whilst the characters are colourful. The game will have text boxes and maps, each character has an 8 bit form which is used to mark their location on the map. There are several cut scenes through out the game for key moments, including the deaths of each character in their wrong end.

Audience:  The audience of my game is a mix of male and female gamers that will be between the ages of 16-21 as the game will be rated 15+. The game is specifically aimed towards the core gamers who are wanting a good narrative and game to play but don’t require lots of extras like online matches or competitions which hard core gamers would want.

Length: the game has 6 levels, which include the introduction and conclusion along with 4 nightmares. The introduction will only involve meeting the key characters of the game, so no actual puzzle solving will happen yet. After this point the 4 nightmares will contain different types of puzzles in order to keep the player engaged, and also make each level different from the last. the conclusion will vary depending on which characters are saved.

Control system & platform the game will be playable on PC, the controls for this include: Arrow keys to move, the mouse to get a 360-degree view of the world, and the whole keyboard is involved when solving puzzles. On Xbox the controls are: Triggers will be used to walk around the world and get the 360-degree view of the world. The whole controller will once again be used when puzzle solving is required.

Story/narrative The game follows Colt a young boy who lives in circus where each member has their own act, his being the capability to enter other people’s dreams. The story follows him trying to help save 4 of his friends who also perform, due nightmares that are becoming more and more vivid to the point they are real. There are 4 different nightmares based around the 4 characters you meet at the start of the game; the nightmares get darker and more difficult to overcome the further you get in. There is also the possibility of failing to save characters which adds a more emotive side to the story.

Characters There are 5 characters; Colt- the protagonist of the game he the most outgoing and friendly character. He is friends with everyone who is at the circus, always making sure to put a smile on their face when he can. This is why he uses his obscurity to try save his friends from their nightmares despite the fact they could not only kill them but him too. Ebony- has a short temper and is prone to lying but is actually just scared of others. Fleur- is very shy at first but turns into a very enthusiastic character. Rune- an adventurous character, always gets her message across loud and clear. Eli- very independent, known for being quite a loner yet once you get to known him he’s very bubbly.

Levels There are 6 levels each based around a character you meet in the introduction. Intro. 1. In this first character you meet Ebony the aim is to help her overcome her nightmare which is based around a very childlike theme of monsters under the bed or hiding in the dark. However, they are a very real threat and there is only one way out as you can’t actually kill the monsters. Bad end- if you fail to solve a puzzle it will only slow you down but fail to break the code at the end of the level and Ebony is burnt alive as you escape. 2. Second chapter follows Fleur her nightmare seems pretty calm compared to the previous as you start to get to know her however the more puzzles you get wrong the worse the nightmare becomes. For each puzzle that is wrong a new booby trap will appear and they’re set to kill.    Bad end- as you reach the last few puzzles Fleur will start to lose interest if you have failed previous ones, resulting in her being too slow to follow and therefore being cut up by piano wire that appears if you made a mistake earlier. 3. Third chapter starts of as an adventure game following Rune as you’re stuck in a forest but after a few wrong turns its not long before you’re stuck in a swamp. This is when timing becomes really important, each puzzle from there is timed and the longer you take the more you start to sink into the bog. Bad end- if you take too long it can result in your narrow escape and Rune’s demise as she is left to drown in the bog. 4. The final chapter follows Eli, whilst at first all he does is help with puzzles you can get to know him and he helps to explain the reasoning for all this happening he is very knowledgeable and wants to make sure Colt escapes. Eli’s nightmare is a giant maze filled with more extreme versions of the previous nightmares, it requires a lot more quick time running events, puzzle solving and time management. Bad end 1- if you mess up any puzzle there will be major consequences however first time round Eli takes the hit from whatever it is, leaving you to work on your own from then on. Bad end 2- at the end if you fail solve the final puzzle it means Eli will take over and do most of the work opening the gate in order to escape however once the doors open a spear appears impaling Eli resulting in his death.