So here is an article about how I envision the game. Not everything is implemented yet, nor can I promise that in the final state it will work exactly as I envisioned. However, in its current state, this is how I see the game taking shape.
What Kind of Game Is It?
The game that I am currently making will be a pixel art precision platformer set in a dark and strange alternate universe of the tale of the Pied Piper. It will feature tight platforming with timing elements, hazards, enemies, light puzzles, bosses and a story. The structure is a bit like a metroidvania, where the player traverses an interconnected world rather than choose levels through a level select screen. You will unlock new abilities to reach places that were inaccessible before.
Mechanics
The main gameplay mechanics are running, jumping, and rolling. The roll ability allows you to slip under enemies, navigate through pipes to previously inaccessible rooms, and more. Rolling is also slightly faster than running, and a roll jump reaches higher than a normal jump, enabling access to otherwise unreachable areas. As you progress, you'll gain the ability to roll up walls and jump off them. Rolling mid-air triggers a downward dash, increasing your speed to swiftly reach the ground. Additionally, there's a charge ability for dashing through the air to specific points, and a punch ability to activate switches and access new areas. Traditional combat is absent, requiring you to deftly evade most obstacles in the game.
Death
One hit from an enemy or obstacle will kill the player, but they will be reset to the entrance of the same room. The death animation lasts under one second, facilitating a quick trial-and-error approach. Players should never feel compelled to repeat an already mastered challenge just because they died a few rooms later to another challenge.
World
Instead of featuring a level select screen, I've opted for an interconnected world design. As you progress through it, you'll regularly unlock new abilities, each presenting fresh challenges and granting access to previously unreachable areas and secrets within already visited locations. While I recognize that a significant aspect of metroidvanias involves revisiting areas multiple times to discover new paths with newly acquired abilities, this approach wouldn't mesh well with a precision platformer, as repeating the same platforming challenge more than once or twice can quickly become monotonous. Thus, this world is structured in a more linear fashion. To keep revisiting areas engaging, I've incorporated several key elements into the level design: Firstly, areas remain off-limits until you possess the necessary abilities. Secondly, the progression path is usually clear to the player, and straying from it leads to swift dead ends, minimizing time wasted on fruitless exploration and ensuring a relatively linear gameplay experience. Thirdly, multiple routes must be navigated to progress through previously visited areas, introducing new rooms with fresh challenges to maintain excitement. Lastly, the newfound abilities also unlock secrets and hidden rooms in older areas, encouraging players to explore and discover.
With the numerous limitations inherent in designing an interconnected world for a precision platformer, one might wonder why invest the effort rather than opting for a simpler level select screen. However, I believe the interconnected world adds significant depth to both the story and the immersion of the game. Moreover, it introduces a unique perspective to precision platformer games, which traditionally rely more on level select screens. By weaving the player's journey through a cohesive world, it creates an environment where every challenge encountered feels intricately linked to the overarching narrative. This approach hopefully offers players a more fulfilling and memorable gaming experience.
Story
The game will feature a main story that guides the player through the world, loosely anchored around the tale of the pied piper. While the primary focus remains on gameplay, the story aims to captivate players and immerse them in the game world. Adding another layer to storytelling, NPCs will offer their perspectives on the world and its events. NPCs, in particular, will play a unique role, as they will be unlocked (or "saved") through gameplay. As players progress and save these characters, they will return to the main town, where players can interact with them, further enriching the overarching narrative and creating a deeper connection between the player and the game world.
Bosses
In each main area of the game, there is one boss planned, but they won't follow the traditional boss archetype. Instead, they will present unique platform challenges. Defeating each boss will reward the player with something valuable, often a new ability crucial for progression. Moreover, most of these bosses will tie directly into the game's narrative, enhancing the story experience and providing additional context to the challenges faced throughout the game.
Extra Challenges
I do intend to include optional challenges for players who have completed the main storyline. While these challenges are still in the conceptual phase, they will offer additional content for those seeking the toughest trials in the game. This may include no-death runs, time trials, tackling the most challenging rooms, and similar endeavors. My vision is to incorporate these challenges seamlessly within the existing save game, allowing players to engage with them without the need for a separate game mode like New Game+.
Art Style
The game will feature a pixel art style with a silhouette aesthetic, where the foreground is dark (with white accents) while the background is colored, varying depending on the area. Decorations will be minimal, with foreground elements such as grass or stones and more distinctive background elements also in color but of a different shade, ensuring they never obstruct gameplay. A significant focus is placed on ensuring the game is enjoyable and engaging to play, with careful attention given to adding "juice" through sound effects, particle effects, and other enhancements.
Current State of the Game
Mechanically and in terms of level and world layout, the game is nearing completion. However, there is still a lot of work to be done on many fronts. This includes fine-tuning many of the rooms and adjusting certain mechanics based on feedback from the ongoing alpha testing phase. Additionally, I'll be focusing on sound and music implementation, adding decorations to enhance the atmosphere, refining the storyline with cutscenes and dialog, implementing the NPC systems, and integrating the optional challenges. Also, many of the boss battles are still somewhat in the concept phase.
How to Get in Touch
First and foremost, if you've made it all the way here, thank you sincerely for reading, and I hope I've provided you with some intriguing insights. Secondly, your support is invaluable to the future of the game, and you can greatly contribute by wishlisting it on Steam. Additionally, there's an alpha version available for free right now, featuring the main mechanics and a substantial portion of the rooms, although not yet as an interconnected world and lacking decorations, sound, and various other enhancements. Also, some mechanics are going to undergo changes. If you're interested, your feedback would be highly appreciated. I've also penned another article specifically about the alpha test of the game. Moreover, feel free to join my Discord server, where everyone is welcome. Lastly, I also plan to publish occasional articles here on IndieDB.
So I hope to see you around.
Cheers!
