Game Concept

Overview

Working Title

The working title for this game is Give Water

Concept Statement

The aim of the game is to water plant(s) by moving a character or multiple characters at the same time through a series of platforms to obtain watering can(s) and then moving the character with the watering can to the plant.

Game Genre 

The game genres are platformer and puzzle. The reason these genres are chosen for this game is because I like to play puzzle games and also because there are not many puzzle games that are available to be played. 

Concept Creation Process and Influences

Game Concept Development

This game is a mashup of different elements from everyday life including:

• Watering plants
• Nature Conservation
• Nuclear weapons

The game concept is developed using these three elements, watering plants as the main game mechanic to complete each level, nature conservation as you must take care of the plants by watering them and nuclear weapons as the backstory of the game.

Influences

This game is influenced by the JS13K game, Dying Dreams (Jani Nykänen, Dying Dreams | js13kGames). Elements from that game that is adapted to this game includes:

• The synchronous movement of characters within levels.
• The cooperation between characters to complete each level.

This game is also influenced by:

•  a conversation between me and my parents about game ideas
• the dangers of nuclear weapons

Audience and Competitive Analysis

Target Audience

The target audience for this game are people who have an interest in nature conservation, people who likes engaging in solving puzzles and casual gamers who likes to play easy-to-learn puzzle games to fill their time (Andrea Knezovic, Puzzle Mobile Game Advertising: Ad Examples & Statistics - Udonis). This game is for people who are adolescence and adults, for both males and females.

Similarity Between My Game and Other Titles

This game is similar to the JS13K game, Dying Dreams (Jani Nykänen, Dying Dreams | js13kGames) as it shares similar elements such as synchronous characters control and having platforms within each level. However, elements that are different from this game to my game is that in Dying Dreams (Jani Nykänen, Dying Dreams | js13kGames), the aim is to make all of the characters die by moving all of them towards spikes, blaze or cold waters. Another game similar to Give Water is the game, Binaries (Ant Workshop Ltd, Binaries - A Controller-Smashingly Tough Platform Game (ant-workshop.com)) where you have to synchronously move two balls towards the finish point avoiding obstacles as you go. However, elements that are different from this game to my game is that in Binaries (Ant Workshop Ltd, Binaries - A Controller-Smashingly Tough Platform Game (ant-workshop.com)), the aim is to move the two balls to the finish point. Both games mentioned above are somewhat different to my game as Give Water, the aim is to make characters attain a watering can and then move them to plants to complete each level. 

Performance of Other Games Within This Genre

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures - Wikipedia) have performed well as they have received very good reviews from IGN (Peer Schneider, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures Review - IGN) with a score of 8.7 and Metacritic (Metacritic, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures for GameCube Reviews - Metacritic) with a score of 86.

The Pedestrian (Skookum Arts, The Pedestrian Game (skookum-arts.com)) have performed well as they have received very good reviews from Metacritic (Metacritic, The Pedestrian for PC Reviews - Metacritic) with a score of 81.

Successful Product Similar to My Game

Dying Dreams (Jani Nykänen, Dying Dreams | js13kGames) is a successful game that share similar elements to my game.

Competitors and Reasons Why My Game is Better

The competitors for this game are other game titles that have elements of synchronous movement of characters such as Dying Dreams (Jani Nykänen, Dying Dreams | js13kGames) and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures - Wikipedia).

My game is better than the games of my competitors as my game is simple (it consists of small number of elements and ideas), easy to learn and consists of original elements (such as taking care of plants).

Reasons Why Similar Titles Fail

A game that is similar to my game is Binaries (Ant Workshop Ltd, Binaries - A Controller-Smashingly Tough Platform Game (ant-workshop.com)) which failed in terms of public awareness due to unoriginal elements (movement of two balls to get to the finish point) within the game.

Game Treatment and Concept Art

Backstory

100 years ago, there was a nuclear warfare fought between countries. Many people escaped to nuclear bunkers. The radioactive emission from the nuclear warfare caused many plants to die out, but some plants survived and only need water to flourish. 100 years later, many scientists got out of their bunker with only one thought, to restore all plants.

Unique Features

In this game, you are a scientist on a mission to restore all plants by taking care of them. You control the movement of multiple scientists at the same time and must make them obtain watering cans to water plants that are in dire need of care.  

Key Features

• Synchronous movement of multiple characters
• The cooperation of all the characters to complete each level
• The requirement of taking care of plants
• Platform blocks that can appear or disappear based on whether a button is pressed or not by the characters 

Concept Art

Below is the concept art for the character design showing a series of character sprites for different states (idle, idle with watering can, walking, walking with watering can, climbing a ladder and climbing a ladder with watering can).

The character design for Give Water which have drawings of when the character is idling, when the character has obtained a watering can and is idling, when the character is walking, when the character obtained a watering can and is walking, when the character is climbing a ladder and when the character has obtained a watering can and is climbing a ladder.

Below is the concept art for the level design showing the different elements within a level which includes a ladder, platforms, watering can, a plant in need of water. The last two drawings show a block that can appear or disappear based on whether the character stepped/pressed a button or not.

The level design for Give Water shows the different elements within a level, a ladder to connect platforms, watering cans to be obtained, and a plant to be watered from the obtained watering can. The two bottom drawings show a block which can appear when the character stepped/pressed a button.