The first design related assignment given to me at Teesside university.

2. Mission Name & Genre
Rising Waters, Horror Puzzle
Mission Statement
Tutorial level. the player will learn some of the basic controls and understand their limitations.
Objectives
Look for survivors.
Length
30 Minutes
Difficulty
Easy.
Narrative Progression
After the ship plummeted to the surface of a planet, Guy discovers his legs have been badly injured. He must find any survivors he can.
Basic Gameplay Mechanics
Crawl, Swim, Climb and fight.
Special player Mechanics
Hacking.
Level Mechanics
Moving platforms, Mechanical puzzles, enemy swarms and differing water levels.
Style
Light Grey and open rooms, with some small cramped corridors, littered with debris.

3. Representations of the interior and lighting within the level.

5. This will be the first level the player enters. It shall be slow paced and also introduce the player to many of the mechanics found throughout the game. The player will traverse the rooms roughly in this order
Start
1- Start 5- Hanger 9- Storage 1
2- Medical Bay 6- Hanger Control Room 10- Storage 2
3- Centre Room 7- Hanger 11- System Controls
4- Flood room 8- Flood Room 12- End
Centre room

6. The Game in general will try to capture Fear and suspense, more so in the first few levels whilst the player is vulnerable.
The player is encouraged to find ways through the areas with use of the level and Player mechanics, as combat is something the player will want to avoid, they will learn this early on in the game.
The enemies will spawn randomly thought-out the level and the game in the respective areas, this should avoid the player becoming familiar with the level and losing the sense of fear.
The enemies routs and patrol areas will also be randomly based(within the confines of the respective areas).
Due to the nature of the game, player progression through the level should be slow and cautious and allows for exploration if the player wishes.

7. Start
Med Bay
View Room
Centre Room
Flood Room
Hanger Hanger Control
Storage 1/2
System Controls
This is a short version of the level map flow chart.
It contains only key areas that the player is required to interact with.

8. Crawl
This mechanic allows the player to move through small spaces, although the player must leave the wheelchair behind.
Wheelchair Jump This mechanic is only available when a ledge is available for grabbing. This takes about 4 seconds for the player to accomplish and the player is left vulnerable during the action

9. Patrol The enemies can patrol some areas of the map randomly. The player can anticipate this with the security cameras.
Ambush
Some enemies will hide in boxes or other spaces. There is no way to anticipate this due to it’s random nature and the player will be forced to ether flee or fight.

10. Security Cameras
The player can access panels on doors through out the level, allowing them to see through security cameras and making It possible for the player to sneak past some enemies.
Running water
Water runs through the level and leads the player in the right direction. Occasionally these flows can direct the player to hidden weapons or Easter eggs.

11. Scale of the player compared to NPC’s.
Player
NPC
Enemy

12. The Medical room where the player finds their wheelchair.
And the View room which tasks the player with finding an item.
Mechanics in play:
-Crawl

13. The player may or may not talk to the NPC in the flood room. ether way, the player will have to hack the console in the hanger control room to enter the hanger
and finally drain the water from the flood room.
Panel Open vents
Allowing water to drain
from the flood room
The player is unable to traverse
The stairs and will have to use the
crowbar to climb
Mechanics in play:
-Crawl
-Climb

14. The colours flash in orders, the player must click the colours in the correct order. The sequence progressively getting longer until the game is complete and the Hanger is unlocked.

15. Once the flood room has been drained, the player is given the code to enter the storage rooms and a gun with a few bullets. The player must get though the enemies and retrieve the access code for the service corridor. The player can not run away quickly from combat due to the jump in the corridor, this should force the player to be cautious.
Mechanics in play:
-Security Cameras
-Combat
-Jump
Access codes
on this box

16. Finally the player must guide and defend the NPC in to the control room and then collect all the cogs for the Gearbox to win the level.
The player is given some more ammo and this should lead to a cautious fire fight with the aliens.
Mechanics in play:
-Combat

17. After the player has escorted The NPC to the control room, a continues wave of enemies flood the room. The player must collect the cogs to fix the gearbox whilst defending the NPC from death; if the NPC is killed, the area of the level will reset.
The player will have to test witch cogs go where in the gear box, as all the gears are different sizes. This could challenge the player.
2
1
3
NPC hides in this room
Whilst being defended

18. The game should feature some quiet, ambient and creepy sounds.
It should make the player tense and fearful, for example the soundtrack would be similar to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_ix8dHZhUE
Where as the times in which the player finds them self in combat, the music should still retain it’s features, but become faster and more intense such as:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0vufKCTmpo

19. What is the games unique selling point?
›The main character in the game is in a wheelchair and extremely vulnerable, coupled with the multiple ways to complete each level it is a true puzzle game.
What replay ability does the game have?
›The games is based of random enemies spawns, witch means no 2 play through will be the same. As well as this, There will be a deep story scattered about the world in secret and hard to find areas. The players understanding of the story will become deeper each play through.
Why is this game different to other similar games?
›Unlike some other horror games, this game is built on the vulnerable main character, where combat is something the player truly fears.