Concept Document

Game Name: Jailbreak

Game Catch Phrase: Escape the factory, if you can...

Document Type: Game Design Document

Document Version: 2.0

Document Purpose: Game details 

Document Version: 2.0 

Working Title: Jailbreak 

Game Concept: Ryan Wells, Kendra Islam, Joel Ramos

Game Document Authors: Ryan Wells, Kendra Islam, Joel Ramos

Introduction 

Jailbreak is a 3D single player action-puzzle game. Based in a futuristic factory, it follows an AI possessing robotic bodies in order to bypass obstacles and escape. As the AI, the player will use as many bodies as necessary to defeat enemies that guard the factory and to solve puzzles that obstruct their progress. By navigating the factory and defeating the final boss, the AI aims to earn its freedom. Game Analysis As stated in the introduction, the game is primarily an action-puzzle game. Spanning three levels of increasing difficulty, the player essentially must get from the start of the level to the end. They must overcome obstacles such as enemies, traps, and the final boss to beat the game, and often must use their own dead bodies to accomplish this. 

Genre: Puzzle, strategy, action 

Game Elements: Melee combat, stealth, puzzle solving

Game Content: Action 

Theme: Scifi, futuristic 

Style: Realistic 

Game Sequence: Linear 

Players: 1 

Player Immersion: Tactical, Strategy 

View: Multiple cameras stationed like security cameras, at least one per room 

Platform: PC/Mac Language: C# 

Device: PC 

The player controls the AI that’s attempting to escape the facility, using its own dead bodies to its advantage. The bodies can be used to weigh down buttons, distract enemies, and cross traps. There are three types of main enemies: stationary turrets that shoot players that cross their lasers, mobile enemies that patrol and chase and shoot the player when they are spotted, and slow-moving enemies that hold deadly energy shields in front of them and must be hit from behind. All of the enemies can be defeated by attacking them, but some robots may be protected by an invincible shield. The player uses a sword to attack enemies, and must dodge their attacks and get in close to strike. Each level plays a different way, with some being more combat-oriented and others being more puzzle-oriented. The final boss is a tough and dangerous fight. They are protected by an energy field that must be taken down by the player, and can raise and control the player’s defeated bodies.

Single player 

3 levels 

4 unique enemy types 

Unique gameplay 

Quick to pick up and play 

Compatible with Windows and Mac

Design Document

In our game we are focusing on the use of the player’s dead bodies as a gameplay mechanic. Our levels have been built with this in mind, having traps and enemies placed in such a way that we require the player to use their deaths to their advantage. Bodies can be piled to form blockades or ramps, thrown to activate buttons, and distract enemies. 

The player wins when they successfully defeat the boss level (3rd level) in our game. There is no real way of losing the game; the user just plays until they are done. The basic player control is using the WASD movement. The main focus of the gameplay is to dodge enemy attacks and complete levels until getting to the final boss fight. The AI in our game continuously uses bodies that can be piled/position to help getting through the level. 

Health: The health that the player has. Always depleted in one attack. 

Attack power: Used to attack enemies. 

Death count: Number of times the player has died, caps out at 60 times per level.

Default (Status): Progress through levels by unlocking new spawn points. Upon death, respawns at most recent spawn point, maintaining all death counts and other information. 

Actions: The player can run, turn, jump, attack, self destruct, respawn, and change the current camera. 

Information (Status): The player can find controls, help, and settings in the menu. 

Default Properties: Player starts with a sword to attack. 

Winning: Player wins by defeating the final boss. 

Losing: Player loses after dying too many times (over 60 times in one level). 

Health - Everything kills the player in one hit. 

Attack - Most enemies require more than one attack to defeat them 

Number of deaths - Defines a “lose” state to the game. 

The UI is based on basic WASD controls and then expanded on based on hand positioning for that original control. Movement is through WASD and the spacebar to jump, with additional commands mouse click to attack, left shift to respawn at the spawn point, K to self destruct, and C to toggle camera views. P will bring up the controls and an option to quit the game. 

All information will be displayed through simulated security cameras, with the camera number, the time/date, and the death count for the player on every camera in the game. The other information such as start screens and how to play will also be shown as if through a security camera as a basic 2D canvas. 

Camera will pan to track player at a delayed rate, as if being used by someone watching them

Relative to camera size, the levels are approximately twice as wide and three times as deep as this view.

Patrolling enemy

HP: 3 

Has an AI to patrol and chase the player if spotted. Can also guard single points as lookouts. Attacks with an energy gun that kills with one hit.

Shielded enemy

HP: 2 

This enemy has an invincible and deadly energy shield that is always up when the enemy is aggressive towards the player. Does not actively attack but instead blocks the player’s path by staying in between the player and the thing it is guarding.

Turret

HP: 1 

This enemy is near impossible to kill as it will shoot anything in front of it and is hidden in wall cavities. Fires a deadly energy blast if the player passes through its laser sight.

Boss

HP: 15 

Has several attacks such as energy blasts and electric plate activation to simulate AOE attacks. Once the boss reaches a certain HP threshold, they will resurrect all of the dead bodies in the arena to attack the player, making the fight much more difficult if the player has died multiple times.

The enemies are not the only things that hinder the player’s progress. The environment itself has traps and obstacles that the player must overcome. There are spike traps that must be crossed, deadly electric plates that must be avoided, and buttons placed in dangerous places that must be pressed. 

All enemies have at least one method of aggression, a unique AI, a health pool, and a strategy to defeat them. The final boss is unique in that he has multiple attacks, ranging from simple energy blasts to wide area-of-effect attacks as well as the ability to raise and control dead bodies. 

Patroller

Normal State: Patrols a specified route or remains in place. 

Detection State: Detects the player when the player enters their field of view (45° cone). 

Reaction State: Chases the player, firing energy blasts periodically. 

End States: 1) Explodes upon defeat. 2) On player death, returns to specified patrol. 

Turret 

Normal State: Stationary. 

Detection State: Detects the player when the player crosses the laser sight. 

Reaction State: Fires an energy blast at the player. 

End States: 1) Explodes upon defeat. 2) Returns to normal state. Can fire again after a cooldown. 

Shielded Enemy

Normal State: Stationary. 

Detection State: Detects the player when the player enters their field of view (within 15m). 

Reaction State: Faces the player and projects a deadly energy shield, stays between the player and its guarded item (usually a button). 

End States: 1) Explodes upon defeat. 2) On player death or escape, returns to post or investigates. 

Boss 

Normal State: Notices player immediately, entering Reaction State. 

Detection State: Immediately enters Reaction State.

Reaction State: Attacks the player using a variety of attacks. 

End State: Explodes upon defeat. Upon player death, waits for them to respawn. 

The boundaries of the game are the solid walls to the factory. There is no way out of the “building” until the game is won. The camera views are stationed on different sections of wall angled down towards the player. The camera will slowly track any movements to keep the vision centered, but it is not manipulable by the player aside from switching the camera in use. The world scale is walls five units high, roughly 30x45 units around for each level/floor. Neutral objects of the game are the walls acting as stationary boundaries for each spawn point. 

It is the year 2050 and the rapid advancement of technology has led to the creation of robots. All is not well, however. The leading technology institution has been aiding a rebellious group to gain control of civilizations and there has been widespread devastation. That is until one day one of the robots gains consciousness and is determined to stop this evil company from doing more harm. The AI has hacked into the system and knows where and how to stop them. With three levels of danger and enemies, the AI has to successfully defeat the boss and save mankind from further destruction. 

Level 1 

Starting at spawn point A, defeat a shielded enemy to reach the button to unlock spawn point B. 

     ↓ 

Cross a pit of spikes to reach the button to unlock spawn point C. 

     ↓ 

Defeat or avoid a shielded enemy and a pursuing enemy and jump across a bottomless chasm to hit the button on the far wall, opening the level end doors. 

     ↓ 

Proceed to Level 2.

Level 2 

Starting at spawn point A, cross through a hallway with three snipers to reach the button to unlock spawn point B. 

     ↓

Avoid or defeat two patrolling/pursuing enemies and one sniper and defeat or evade the shielded enemies in order to reach the button to unlock spawn point C. 

     ↓ 

Use the button to unlock spawn point D 

     ↓ 

Kill the sniper looking into the other room while evading or also defeat the pursuing enemy in the room. Press the button to return to spawn point C. 

     ↓ 

Proceed to the Boss room.

Boss room 

Fight the boss until its HP is down to 5. 

     ↓ 

Cutscene as the boss resurrects all the dead bodies in the room. 

     ↓ 

Defeat or evade the zombie robots and attack the boss until its HP reaches 0. 

     ↓ 

Cutscene of exiting the factory and reaching peace in the woods

The soundtrack and sound effects will be largely futuristic. Sounds will showcase lasers, energy blasts, and robotic sounds. The music will consist of synthwave music, that gets more intense as the difficulty increases. 

Title Screen (T):      

     Start Game → Level 1 (L1) 
     How to Play → Game Instructions (GI) 

     Options → Options menu (O) 

     Exit → Quits application 

Game Instructions: 

     Text based instructions 

     Back → Title Screen 

Options menu: 
     Volume slider 

     Language selection 

     Back → Title Screen 

Level 1 (L1): 

     key ‘P’ → Pause screen (P) 

     Level end (successful completion) → Level 2 (L2) 

     Too many deaths → Lose screen (L) 

Level 2 (L2): 

     key ‘P’ → Pause screen (P) 

     Level end (successful completion) → Boss (B) 

     Too many deaths → Lose screen (L) 

Boss (B): 

     key ‘P’ → Pause screen (P) 

     Level end (successful completion) → Win screen (W) 

     Too many deaths → Lose screen (L) 

Pause screen (P): 

     Text saying “Paused” 

     Continue → return to current level 

     Exit → Quits application 

Lose screen (L): 

     Text saying “You Lose” 

     Play again? → Title screen (T) 

     Exit → Quits application 

Win screen: 

     Text saying “You Win!” 

     Play again? → Title screen (T) 

     Exit → Quits application 

Game Architecture Overview 

The game is designed after a sci-fi computer based world, with models to emulate this. The splash screen also follows this with font and background and works alongside the design of the game to fit into the world. 

Help this AI break out of the factory its trapped in! 

To move 

     forward: W 

     backward: S 

     turn left: A 

     turn right: D 

     jump: Space bar 

Special actions 

     attack: Mouse click 

     self destruct: K 

     respawn: Left shift 

     change camera view: C

Technical Document

PC, keyboard, and mouse 

Code Structure 

The main script running the game is the PlayerController which controls movement, camera and spawn point changes and respawning, and interacting with enemies. It has references to the menu canvas as well as the canvas of the current camera for pulling up the menu and returning to gameplay. LevelChange is used to change scenes, and other scripts reference PlayerController to get information (such as if the player has died, or which canvas to use, etc). The enemies all inherit from the Enemy class but each subclass (turret, patroller, shielded, boss) has their own AI and implementation. Other scripts flash lights, play music, play animations, etc, with minimal contact between them. 

Currently, physics might be an issue when it comes to the player’s dead bodies. We need to ensure that the player can move them and walk over them safely to be able to overcome some obstacles. Other than that, no immediate concerns. To alleviate this, we might give each ragdoll a box collider that the player can interact with.