Unify
Intro
1 paragraph description of the game. Describe your game in as few words
as possible, as if you only had seven seconds to explain it to somebody.
Attempt to capture the feel of the game - general enthusiasm ("This is a
fantastic and exciting 3D platforming game!") is less valuable than text written
in-theme, such as:
The dame's gone missing, and, just like always, you're to blame. Now
you've gotta beat your way through an undead horde before she's sacrificed to
Zombie Jesus... and you didn't even get to eat breakfast. The Battle
for Zombie Breakfast is a horror/noir 2D side-scrolling beat-em-up
starring Isaiah Stakes.
Character bios
1-2 paragraph description of each of the major characters. Mention in
particular how they figure into the game itself, and the way the player will
perceive them initially vs. once they get to know them.
Charlie:
Mom:
Dad:
Plot Overview
4-6 paragraphs. With as little backstory as possible, describe the game
from start to finish. Include a rough breakdown of what is cutscene, what is
gameplay, etc. With each part of the plot, it should be obvious how it will be
presented in the game itself.
Parents divorce -> Charlie decides to take matters into
their own hands and re-unite the family -> Charlie talks to townsfolk for
advice and help -> but no-one is 100% happy with the idea -> Charlie must
complete quests for each of the townsfolk ->
Gameplay description
1-2 paragraphs describing each distinct mode of gameplay, starting with
core gameplay. For instance, Half Life 2 would first describe general running
around and shooting, then twists on the core gameplay (such as the gravity
gun), then vehicle sequences.
Artistic style outline
2-3 paragraphs describing the artistic style and feel. Cover actual
in-game art, UI and menus and sound. Mocked up screenshots are preferred, if
not, reference art.
Systematic breakdown of components
A rough outline of what systems will be required (for example, ones that
will show up on most lists: 2D and/or 3D renderer, state machine, save/load
system, UI system, collision system, particle system, etc). Include special
features that, while they may not have their own system, will still need to be
accounted for when creating systems (ie. day/night cycles, sound affecting
gameplay, etc). If you will be using an API/SDK for a system, note it down -
you'll still have to do some work learning/integrating the foreign system.
Asset breakdown
Similar to the System Breakdown, but for visual assets, text and sound.
Art Assets: List each major area of artwork (Player, Enemies, Worlds,
UI/Menus, HUD, Effects), specifying roughly how detailed animations and states
will be, and however much you know at this point about the pipeline/programs
used.
Text Assets: Identify major areas (tutorial, tips, scripted
dialogue/quests, dynamically presented dialogue, narration), and attempt to
gauge the amount of effort required on each section.
Sound Assets: Similarly, the major areas (In-game sound, UI/HUD feedback
sound, music, voice) should be detailed and described.
Suggested Game Flow Diagram
The intent of this section is to lay out, step by step, what the player
experiences from as soon as they turn on the game until the end. While this can
be generic and use a lot of loops (ie. Start Game -> Cutscene -> Tutorial
-> loop(Cutscene -> Level -> Results Screen) -> End), it's probably
a good idea to attempt to envisage how your game might be able to break up the
monotony that is evident in that design.
The great thing about this section is it gets you really thinking about
what your game is and how it is presented, as opposed to the amalgam of
disjointed ideas in your head. The deeper you get into this Game Flow Diagram,
the more confident you will be about what your game is precisely made up of,
and what the experience of playing it will be.
Suggested Project Timeline
Here's where we get to the part where hearts break and tempers are lost
- laying out a rough schedule for the game's development that utilizes the
breakdowns that were made earlier in the document. Schedule aggressively, but
be realistic - you're probably not going to get all of your menus in and
working in a day. You don't have to be specific about where and when - the most
important information to end up with here is the number of man hours per team
member required, and exactly who will be responsible for what.
Additional Ideas and Possibilities
This final section is a bit of an amalgam of everything that didn't fit
in the sections before hand. It's an appendix of all of the things that you
didn't think were necessarily core to the game, but you'd like to consider
along the way. It's also for alternate possibilities - for instance, if you had
two main characters in mind, put the better one in the main document, and then
the alternate here. Finally, if you have any ideas that you're not sure about,
but would like to prototype, then this is the place for that stuff as well.
