MVP overview

This game takes major inspiration from TheBlockheads. It also takes some inspiration from slime rancher. Nintendogs looks to be a similar product.

Our goal is a Nintendogs in TheBlockheads.

What the actual gameplay looks like

Compassion

Taking care of creatures is what the game is all about.

Most of the time in the sky jellies, you’ll find yourself looking for resources to take care of your jellies with.

Key questions

What emotions would I like my players to experience and why?

Compassion, is the joy we get, when we take care of something and it flourishes.

Safety/home/coziness.

Relaxation.

Accomplishment - we want to give them a sense of accomplishment when they feel that they have rescued and taken care of the jellies.

Playfulness - I feel like when squirting water at a creature, and watching it squirm and laugh, or when the creature steals something from you just for fun, you’re having that sense of playfulness.

What are some key features of this game?

1) First-person interaction

Everything you do in the game is done similarly to VR where you’re actually moving the axe with your hand to cut down the tree.

2) Open world

12 Island archipelagos, all sharing the same biome. Multiple groups of these with different biomes. Different island groups are not visible from home.

The game will be less direction-oriented and more “do what you want” with fun challenges.

3) Buildable, blocky world with 1 meter in height, width and depth. The ability to pick up and place anything down in order to customize your world.

4) Creature customization

This has to do with special clothing, like unlocking accessories for your Jelly (Bow Tie, Racoon Tail). All of the unlocks are purely cosmetic.

5) Creatures, with a deep, psychological profile.

Example: you meet the stone jelly and it’s really cold and doesn’t welcome you, but when you bring it a beautiful amethyst, it lights up and all of a sudden becomes happy. This should not be a straightforward process.

Another could be that you throw a ball at a certain creature, and it makes it super happy, but another creature wouldn’t get happy by that, but rather it would be really happy if you play a tune on the flute.

Size of the World

The game world is going to be handcrafted with little to no procedural generation. It will feature multiple islands of each type of biome.

How many islands do we really need in the MVP?

At first, three islands.

What's the gameplay loop?

Meet new creatures, bond with them, they grow up and help you explore with their abilities. Also, the abilities help you access new biomes and resources.

You can also use the resources you find to build stuff.

How long would creatures sleep?

Most of the jellies sleep through the night. Est 6/18 min.

What features make the most impact?

The giant smiles of the jellies.

The cute noises the creatures make.

What experience do we want people to have? What is essential to that experience? How can the game capture that experience?

What sort of locations would suit our game about compassion?

The game takes place on Sky Islands which have different biomes.

A safe environment would help. Our focus right now has not been so much on how the environment helps the feeling but enhances the focus on basic mechanics.

What environmental features could help emphasize our game feel?

A unique ambient sound loop for each biome to help convey the mood. The biome's weather will also help to set the tone.

How can we joyfully surprise players?

Each jelly will have unique personalities, making them a joy to live with.

What are the parts of the game that people will find really fun?

Building and decorating a beautiful home for a creature.

Watching the jelly grow.

What items of value will there be in the game, how can we make them covet those items of value?

Craftable items to upgrade and craft, food, building blocks. We need to make sure every item is useful and distinct.

How can we encourage players to go through the learning, practice, and master pacing loop?

A good pacing on feedback and progression.

What key technological features will be seen as technological pillars for this game?

The rounded voxel-based block. Also an advanced personality system and pet mechanics.

How can we make every element of the game work together to make it cute and wholesome?

There is a lack of punishment in the game meaning no damage, combat or death. Most of the gameplay loop is around the jelly. The jelly's reactions to situations and environments will also help.

If the game had no goal, what would be fun?

Exploring, building and discovering the jellies.

What will the islands look like and why?

The island will look like a voxel-based floating island. Different biomes will give out different feels.

For example, The forest biome could feel very cozy. The plains biome could allow you to see far and wide, and give you a sense of adventure. The snow biome would also be cozy.

What will the crafting mechanic look like?

What will creatures look like?

In their baby form they'll look like a simple slime. As they evolve they will get more complex shapes.

What sort of interaction do you have with the creatures?

You can pet, feed and do other friendly activities similar to those that you do with your pet. Also, the jellies have abilities that can result in many other interactions.

What will be your sense of progression?

Unlocking new jellies, watching them grow, new abilities and visiting new places.

What happens when you run out of resources?

If it's food, it will regrow over time. If it's jelly dew, you can always get more by interacting with the jellies. If it's crafting material, you need to explore and find some more.

Should we have environmental challenges like the rain putting out the fire and making everybody cold?

We can have environmental challenges acting as soft locks, for instance, you need a heat suit to access the desert biome.