From the mindmap I made (image above) I highlighted the types of games I was interested in making as well as elements that I wanted to incorporate into my idea. I was deeply interested in the notion of using art history as the inspiration or foundation of a game idea.
Started to write down art movements that I was interested in and some artists/artworks that I know of and how they relate to other movements etc.
The 3 main movements I like were:
- Minimalism
- Pop Art
- Fauvism
At this moment I was not sure how I wanted to incorporate these into my game. I initially thought maybe I could choose and artwork from one of these genres, use the story behind the artwork and interpret that into a game.
Similar to what James White did. His artwork is strongly influenced by the 80’s era. James White create an unofficial poster for Ubisoft’s game, “Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon”
The 80’s theme shows strongly through the use of colour (both contrasting and complementing colours such as fushia pink and neon blue), minimal use of depth (using shapes to create shadows) and the contrast between brush strokes in terms of detail (texture). He has successfully combined retro with modern without losing his style in the process.
The images below show work by James White.
So I already have an idea for the style/aesthetic I want my game to possess, I just need to create a narrative for the game.
Although I wasn’t sure if this was the route I want to go down, I still brain stormed some ideas.
IDEA 1
I saw this card that I got from my Dad in Japan. The origami crane inspired this idea. I know that in the Japanese culture the origami crane is a symbol of hope and healing. Traditionally, it was believed that if someone folded 1000 origami cranes, their wish would come true.
The story behind this is that a girl called Sadako Sasaki was exposed to radiation as an infant and was diagnosed with leukemia by the age of 12. She decided to fold 1000 cranes but was able to fold 644 cranes before she passed away.
I thought that this was a touching story to base a game off.
I also know a song called, Cranes in the Sky by Solange.
Some of the lyrics stood out to me,
- I ran around in circles, Think I made myself dizzy
- Well it’s like cranes in the sky, Sometimes I don’t wanna feel those metal clouds
- I travelled 70 states
The draft idea is that the play is on a mission to catch 1000 cranes to save a sick friend. The player has to avoid distractions that will set them back in the game, eg, crash into metal clouds or make the dizzy.
Now, this is where I was slightly stuck, What happens if they don’t catch the cranes in time, their friend dies? That was a little be saddening, I know in real life Sadako Sasaki did pass away but I want to design an uplifting game.
IDEA 2
Multiplayer game where players compete against each other to complete the race course by avoiding traps from the terrain and from each other.
The game is split into 3 levels, Easy, Intermediate and Hard, each level has 10 games.
The aesthetic design of each level is inspired by an art movement. Such as Easy is inspired my minimalism, Intermedia is Pop Art and Hard is Fauvism.
Scoring – Leaderboard
Each game is worth a certain amount of points. The number of points a player receives depends on their finishing position. EG: 1st place player gains 1000 points, whereas 4th player gets 250. Throughout the game, players are collecting coins so that they can buy power-ups for the next game.
Players buy power-ups before they compete in a game. More power-ups are unlocked during the game when players complete and unlock levels.
Platform – Iphone/Andriod game
Players – It is a multi-player game but single playing is available. The single player will compete again a computerised team or player.
Power-ups (ideas)
- Steal coins from opponents
- Tomato gun – blur vision of opponents for 5 secs
- Canon Ball – knock opponents to beginning of the game
- flame thrower – burn opponents power-ups
- disoriented berries – make the opponents vision trippy and their actions opposite. EG swipe up (to jump) character goes down
- hammer – knock opponents into the ground fro 5 secs
- Invisible cloak – the player can go invisible for 20 secs making opponents anxious.
Title for this idea – Ultimate Savage (working progress)
Although I like both ideas I am strongly drawn to the first one, about the cranes. I want to see if I can come up with an idea that has an uplifting end.
Maybe I could integrate both idea 1 and 2 together. What I need to focus on now, is the narrative aspect of the game.