Game Design Document

Threw together a preliminary GDD in my days off sick, I just threw in some finishing touches and thought I would show it to you guys first. If there's anything you feel that should be changed or taken out of there, let me know.

I couldn't link the images that I had in the document, so just imagine that the stuff Scott mocked up is where it says it is.

Threw together a preliminary GDD in my days off sick, I just threw in some finishing touches and thought I would show it to you guys first. If there's anything you feel that should be changed or taken out of there, let me know.

I couldn't link the images that I had in the document, so just imagine that the stuff Scott mocked up is where it says it is.

EDIT: I just added all our concept art and the GDD to our SVN. You can check it out on there if you have it set up on your computer.

BIT
Design Documentation

OVERVIEW
Bit is a game about games. In Bit, you are a simple sprite, floating through the stream of time and growing as the world around you changes. In Bit, there are four separate phases – 1-Bit, 8-Bit, 16-Bit and 32-Bit. In order to keep up with the ever changing world around you, you have to collect other bits to become more complex – and not fall behind lest you become an outdated concept in a far more complicated world. The whole game starts and finishes in a time span of 5 minutes, but encompasses a very large and very early era of gaming.

GAME MECHANICS
Early 1-Bit Concept Art
When the game first starts, you are simply a white block on a black background, fighting to collect other white blocks in order to grow in complexity. You float around the area of play, fighting off other, more aggressive bits. This phase is very simple and Pong-esque in visuals. The intention for the game is to have it grow in complexity as the player progresses, like most modern games do.

Early 8-Bit Concept Art
Once you collect 8 bits, the world changes – and so does the player and the way the game plays. Everything grows more complex as the era changes and the visuals become far more like that of the early Atari games. The player becomes a bit more like a recognizable character now, moving along in the world in a platform style game – though the goal has not changed. Collect bits, grow your complexity, and avoid other aggressive bits.

Early 16-Bit Concept Art
This theme continues into the 16 and 32 bit eras. To get from 8 bit into 16 bit, you must collect 16 bits. To get from 16 bit into 32 bit, you must collect 32 bits. Once entry into 32 bit has been achieved, the game is over – so long as you achieved the goal within 5 minutes.

PLAYER CHARACTER
Early 16-Bit Character Concept
You play as an unnamed, constantly changing character that moves through each era of gaming, becoming something new and interesting each time. As the game plays out, the character grows from a simple square sprite into something far more complicated each time. While the character may still look extremely blocky in 8-Bit, it becomes further and better defined in 16 and 32 bit.

GAME FEATURES
* Progression through four separate visual eras of gaming.
* Character growth and development from a simple 1 bit white sprite into a 32 bit one.
* 1 bit, 8 bit, 16 bit and 32 bit art styles in a short span of time.
* Fixed Sidescroller and Platformer style gameplay (?)
* Use of all 3 of the Product Owners requested themes.
* Playable in 5 minutes.