1. scene
1.1. area
1.1.1. space
1.1.1.1. planets
1.1.1.1.1. unkown
1.1.1.2. space stations
1.1.2. island
1.1.2.1. more than one
1.1.2.2. areas on island
1.1.2.2.1. beaches
1.1.2.2.2. caves
1.1.3. a dungeon
1.1.3.1. fixed area
1.1.3.2. different rooms
1.1.3.2.1. enemies
1.1.3.2.2. treasure
1.1.3.3. size of room may indicate significance
1.1.3.3.1. bigger = more important
1.1.3.3.2. smaller = less important
1.1.4. school
1.1.4.1. classroom
1.1.4.2. like yandere sim
1.2. level based
1.2.1. very fixed gameplay
1.2.1.1. like helltaker bullet hell level
1.2.2. 1 level, one screen
1.2.2.1. easier to program, hopefully
1.2.2.2. need to focus on other factors to engage audience
1.3. appearance
1.3.1. simple colours
1.3.1.1. good for simple game concepts
1.3.1.2. easier to design, allowing for more time to be spent debugging code
1.3.2. much detail
1.3.2.1. better for more complex games and games that are focused on puzzle solving
2. gameplay
2.1. story
2.1.1. themes
2.1.1.1. adventure
2.1.1.2. mystery
2.1.1.3. puzzle
2.1.1.3.1. less need for a timer
2.1.2. long story
2.1.2.1. needs more content
2.1.2.2. need more characters
2.1.2.3. need more reasoning and logic
2.2. no story
2.2.1. how to keep people engaged?
2.2.1.1. keep increasing the challenge
2.2.2. level based progression
2.2.3. player based progression
2.2.3.1. you choose what you want to do
2.2.3.1.1. multiple ways to do a certain thing
2.2.3.2. more free, taking advantage of the lack of narrative
2.3. mechanics
2.3.1. health
2.3.1.1. hitcap
2.3.1.2. healing
2.3.1.2.1. over time
2.3.1.2.2. only when you get certain items
2.3.2. death leads to?
2.3.2.1. save points
2.3.2.2. options upon death to go back to certain moments
2.3.2.3. options on death to go become different characters
2.3.3. stealth or stamina or mana
2.3.3.1. another energy bar
2.3.3.2. can become annoying if there are too many to keep up with
2.3.3.3. can each have a specific funtion
2.3.3.3.1. e.g. stealth for dash
2.3.3.3.2. stamina for holding on or sprinting
2.3.3.3.3. mana for certain attacks
2.3.4. inventory and hotbar
2.3.4.1. how many items can you carry?
2.3.4.2. how many items do you need to cary
3. player
3.1. alive
3.1.1. person
3.1.1.1. astronaut
3.1.1.1.1. pros
3.1.1.1.2. cons
3.1.1.1.3. aliens
3.1.1.2. soldier
3.1.1.2.1. what should a soldier be able to do?
3.1.1.2.2. specialties of future soldiers
3.1.1.3. ninja
3.1.1.3.1. focus on stealth and movement
3.1.1.3.2. colours
3.1.2. animal
3.1.2.1. goat
3.1.2.1.1. goat simulator
3.1.2.2. cat
3.1.2.2.1. chasing other animals
3.1.2.2.2. messing around with the environment
3.2. non-living
3.2.1. exaggerate the pros and cons of being such
3.2.1.1. i am bread
3.2.2. rocket
3.2.2.1. more scenic gameplay, since space is beautiful if done right
3.2.3. car
3.2.3.1. self driving
3.2.3.1.1. try not to crash
3.2.3.1.2. obstacles
4. items
4.1. tools
4.1.1. minimap
4.1.1.1. encourages exploration
4.1.1.2. show how big the area should be
4.1.2. grapple
4.1.2.1. the ability to improve abilities
4.1.2.1.1. longer range
4.1.2.1.2. more grapples simultaneously
4.1.2.2. range of grapple
4.1.2.3. how to teach players to use this, without being forced?
4.1.3. guide
4.1.3.1. e.g. PDA from subnautica
4.2. must get items
4.2.1. keys
4.2.1.1. blocking off certain areas unless an item is present
4.2.2. maps
4.2.2.1. part of a map
4.2.2.2. guides you to certain areas
4.3. movement
4.3.1. abilities
4.3.1.1. dash
4.3.1.1.1. dash cooldown
4.3.1.1.2. control
4.3.1.1.3. benefits
4.3.1.2. double jump
4.3.1.3. fly
4.3.1.3.1. how long
4.3.1.3.2. cost
5. screen UI
5.1. player based scrolling
5.1.1. less stress and encourages exploration
5.1.1.1. pokemon
5.1.1.2. terraria
5.1.2. can lead to players not knowing where to go
5.2. game based scrolling
5.2.1. creates urgency to keep moving
5.2.2. can lead to player missing certain chances
5.2.2.1. add secrets or Easter-eggs to make replays more rewarding
5.2.3. timer as well?
5.2.3.1. mario bowser level in new SMB2
5.3. what to show on screen
5.3.1. healthbar
5.3.1.1. aesthetic dependent on theme
5.3.2. minimap
5.3.3. tips and objectives
5.3.3.1. makes gameplay seem more restrictive
5.3.3.1.1. can disappear once you reach a certain place
5.3.3.1.2. can only appear once you spend too long in a certain area
5.3.3.2. makes the objective clear
5.3.4. inventory and hotbar
5.3.4.1. design should match that of the main game textures
5.3.4.2. design should be customizable
5.3.5. timer
6. object
6.1. interactions
6.1.1. platforms
6.1.1.1. rocks
6.1.1.2. literal wooden platforms
6.1.1.3. player placed?
6.1.1.3.1. how many should the player be allowed to place
6.1.1.3.2. control where these can be placed to avoid exploitation
6.1.2. enemies or projectiles
6.1.2.1. bullet hell games
6.1.2.1.1. can force the player to repeat and learn patterns
6.1.2.2. how to make clear that an object is an enemy?
6.1.2.2.1. colour
6.1.2.2.2. shape
6.1.3. how to show that you can interact?
6.1.3.1. colour to symbolize certain ideas
6.1.3.1.1. red=danger
6.1.3.1.2. green=safe
6.1.3.1.3. black/white is neutral
6.1.3.2. signs
6.1.3.2.1. arrows
6.1.3.2.2. diaologue
6.2. can't interact
6.2.1. how to distinguish background from other objects
6.2.1.1. difference in colour
6.2.1.2. sound
6.2.2. background
6.2.3. aesthetic areas
6.2.3.1. the water near a beach
6.2.3.2. houses