Dust Might (Video Game)
Course Instructor
Afsoon Yousefi Zowj
Abstract
Our project aims to create a video game that combines elements of a top-down platformer, a roguelike, and bullet hell-style combat, for a dynamic gameplay experience every time the player starts a new run. The game is designed to challenge players, requiring skillful evasion and strategic decision-making to avoid pitfalls, spikes, and enemies. The core mechanics revolve around unlocking movement options as the player progresses, adding an element of growth to the gameplay. Initially, players will have limited mobility, which encourages them to avoid direct combat and instead focus on strategic evasion and crowd control. As the game advances, players will unlock movement abilities such as rolling, diving, and potentially even something as rudimentary as jumping, which will open up new strategies for movement.
One of our game’s is its emphasis on items for combat as opposed to attacks. Since players start with minimal offensive capabilities, they must rely on items found throughout the game world to engage with enemies. These items include bombs, thrown weapons, shields, and other tools that can be used creatively to overcome challenges. The player is provided with an inventory, so they can choose to save their items for a rainy day as opposed to using them right away. This design choice makes sure that every playthrough feels fresh, as the strategies will depend on the items discovered during the run. The randomized item placement also adds to the game’s replayability.
The game’s structure follows a procedurally generated dungeon format, in which each floor is composed of a series of interconnected rooms. These rooms are selected from a pre-designed pool of layouts, ensuring variety while maintaining a level of balance in difficulty and challenge. As players explore, they will encounter different combinations of items and hazards, requiring them to stay on their toes and adapt their tactics. The procedural generation ensures that no two runs are exactly the same, increasing the game’s replay value. Players advance to the next floor by locating the diving bell, which is always found in a dead-end room, and must be paid into with in-game currency to progress. This mechanic creates a sense of discovery as players delve deeper into the game world, and doesn’t allow the player to just save up money on one floor and skip the rest without exploring.
The game’s narrative follows a unique protagonist—a doll brought to life by a mysterious witch. This character isr a creation designed to explore the deep, cavernous world that the witch inhabits. A key aspect of the game’s lore is the doll’s ability to transfer its consciousness into a new body upon death, creating an in-game justification for respawning. The deeper the player ventures, the more they uncover about this enigmatic world.
Overall, our game blends strategic gameplay with an atmospheric setting and unique approach to progression. By incorporating procedural generation, strategic item use, and the seeds of a storyline, we aim to create a game that offers challenge and depth, exciting our players with each and every playthrough.
Dust Might (Video Game)
Our project aims to create a video game that combines elements of a top-down platformer, a roguelike, and bullet hell-style combat, for a dynamic gameplay experience every time the player starts a new run. The game is designed to challenge players, requiring skillful evasion and strategic decision-making to avoid pitfalls, spikes, and enemies. The core mechanics revolve around unlocking movement options as the player progresses, adding an element of growth to the gameplay. Initially, players will have limited mobility, which encourages them to avoid direct combat and instead focus on strategic evasion and crowd control. As the game advances, players will unlock movement abilities such as rolling, diving, and potentially even something as rudimentary as jumping, which will open up new strategies for movement.
One of our game’s is its emphasis on items for combat as opposed to attacks. Since players start with minimal offensive capabilities, they must rely on items found throughout the game world to engage with enemies. These items include bombs, thrown weapons, shields, and other tools that can be used creatively to overcome challenges. The player is provided with an inventory, so they can choose to save their items for a rainy day as opposed to using them right away. This design choice makes sure that every playthrough feels fresh, as the strategies will depend on the items discovered during the run. The randomized item placement also adds to the game’s replayability.
The game’s structure follows a procedurally generated dungeon format, in which each floor is composed of a series of interconnected rooms. These rooms are selected from a pre-designed pool of layouts, ensuring variety while maintaining a level of balance in difficulty and challenge. As players explore, they will encounter different combinations of items and hazards, requiring them to stay on their toes and adapt their tactics. The procedural generation ensures that no two runs are exactly the same, increasing the game’s replay value. Players advance to the next floor by locating the diving bell, which is always found in a dead-end room, and must be paid into with in-game currency to progress. This mechanic creates a sense of discovery as players delve deeper into the game world, and doesn’t allow the player to just save up money on one floor and skip the rest without exploring.
The game’s narrative follows a unique protagonist—a doll brought to life by a mysterious witch. This character isr a creation designed to explore the deep, cavernous world that the witch inhabits. A key aspect of the game’s lore is the doll’s ability to transfer its consciousness into a new body upon death, creating an in-game justification for respawning. The deeper the player ventures, the more they uncover about this enigmatic world.
Overall, our game blends strategic gameplay with an atmospheric setting and unique approach to progression. By incorporating procedural generation, strategic item use, and the seeds of a storyline, we aim to create a game that offers challenge and depth, exciting our players with each and every playthrough.
