MARCH 5th CLASS BRAINSTORM

THE DARKNESS

The Forest is the darkness. A sense of malevolence – oppressive, trying to trap/ensnare/squeeze you. You hack deeper into its bowls as it closes behind you. (Helping the monsters helps prevent this?)

A failed community exists next door (shows what can happen if you aren’t successful).

What happens when a community fails?

                Environment becomes so dangerous that no one trusts each other. Monsters go from simple distrust to outward aggression.

Monsters become trees?

Dark (enemy) monsters/parasites/flees spread the darkness. Allows for visual moment of monster being “Freed” from dark swarm. Player can swat at them with their tools, destroy nests, etc.

Façade hides darkness (yet shows hints of it)

Darkness in the forest is the forest’s reactive response to Monsters’ squabbles and problems.

UPDATE:

Malevolent forest + Failed community – forest becomes its own prison. Outbreak that’s self-contained by forest. Some imprisoned alone, others together. You have to mine the monsters out. Darkness begins to have its own entity/personality. What does it want?

Dark parasites/fleas spread the darkness. Allows for visual moment of monster being “freed” from dark swarm. Player can swat at fleas with their tools, destroy nests, etc.

                Do dark fleas transform into something else?

Fight shadow versions of monsters. Use tools to swipe swaths of darkness off of them.

Dark Fleas hide in dark part of forest where you fight them. You cannot face a new dark monster until you’ve helped the corresponding monster in the neighborwoods. (Optional gameplay, the more you help the monsters, the more dark monsters you get to fight)

Upon entering dark area, player has couple of seconds to squash as many dark bugs with whatever tools they have before the bugs scurry away. Player can also swat bushes/trees/rocks to get more.

Upon defeat the dark bugs turn into lightning bugs (become collectible currency)

Remaining dark bugs flee. Area the liberated monster lives in lightens up.

PROTAGONIST BRAINSTORM: (for the developers, not necessarily for the player)

Why are they with their grandparents?

Parents undergoing surgery.

“Need to get to know you’re grandparents.”

Trouble kid who’s sent off to grandparents.

                Too curious.

Needs to test the world (out of defiance).

Needs to test the world (out of curiosity).

Needs to find consistency in ever changing world of irresponsible parents.

Sick of overprotective parents, craving for freedom.

Workaholic parents who are absent

CURRENT WORKING IDEA:

The experience of taking care of monsters is not new to kid (Inconsistent parents/boarding school experience)

Works well with “home-by-5-o’clock” gameplay. Kid keeps coming back with another new piece of gear to show gradual change.

Sent to boarding school because parents’ weren’t very good at their parenting. Kid starts testing new, strict environment. Sent to grandparents, finds monsters, becomes the adult in the new situation. (New dean/principle/parent of the monsters. Good luck, bucko)

Kid has to enjoy what they’re doing (cannot lose child-like wonder)

                See: Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service

Any change in kid has to be visible, not told via cutscenes

Inventive

Quiet

Brood/thinks deeply.

Adheres to the rules on the surface, doesn’t draw attention to themselves, but watches and plans.

Character references:

Hogarth Hughes from Iron Giant

Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth)

Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt)

Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)

Josh Holloway

Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink)