"Game Design...The Game(?)" Overview

"Game Design...The Game(?)" is a game about designing games. It uses unique mechanics to describe the design process in a humorous yet informative way, describing the highs and pitfalls of freelance and Indie game making.

Game is available temporarily for recruiters: https://phazero.itch.io/game-design-the-game
Password: Ilovepi

GDTG Mechanics and Game Design Reel: annotated on https://vimeo.com/343602395

"Game Design....The Game(?)" Full Playthrough (Spoilers)

ANNOTATED video available: Vimeo.com/Phazero/GameDesignTheGame

Birds Eye View in Editor

The Home Office. In here the player learns about interacting with objects and doors. The coffee cups, duel monitors, calendar, mini fridge, playstation, and 3 seperate computers are ways of telling the story of an overworked indie or freelance developer.

The Home Office

Dialogue that introduces the concept to the player

First area: "Welcome to Inspiration" Computer Screen

First Activator: This is to teach the player how to use the Activators.

The player is the game designer in this game. They have to stop procrastinating and find the game's plan to save themselves and the game.

Early Block Mesh of Game. The current game is still very similar to this layout.

Birds Eye View in Editor

Overall view of current map from in game play. The player can see all parts of the map to decide where to go next. The Activators are visible though not yet reachable.

Lead up to "Prototyping" area

Radian Puzzle overview located in Prototyping area.

Radian Puzzle room with Fraction area in background

Close up of Radian Puzzle

Fraction portion of puzzle. Fraction portions are plus/minus pi over two empty number slots.

One of many solutions to Radian Puzzle. This fraction performs "real" math.

The Level Design Shrine.

The first view of the Wacom Tablet.

The Wacom Tablet activates the game's hidden art.

When you obtain the Wacom Pen from the Truth NPC, the Wacom Tablet lights up and can be activated.

The Wacom Table activating.

The Wacom Table activated

Downstairs in the Level Design Shrine, the player can see the 3D modeling software they will need to complete parts of the game but they cannot activate it without enough ideas.

The idea gate "sees" the player, now that they have enough ideas. (This does not occur until around midway through the game but for simplicity I am showing you to keep the areas together in this document)

The idea gate "sees" the player, now that they have enough ideas.

The inside of the Level Blueprint and 3D modeling software area

The 3D modeling software pickup close up

3D modeling platforms before being interacted with

3D modeling platforms when pointed at by player

3D modeling platforms upon input by player.

Prototyping area, after the Wacom tablet has been activated.

A secret "unlockable" area

The Beginning of the Idea Hole area.

"Taking a Treadmill Desk Stroll to get out of the Idea Hole."

Press the green button to activate the Standing Desk

When the player is not running the screen is blue.

When the player starts to run the tutorials turn on.

Ideas (the glowing spheres) pop out the top of the machine

Idea Spheres being generated by watching tutorials

The Ideas appear by running on the standing desk treadmills.

The Ideas can not be consumed until all of the treadmills have been found in a timely manner.

When the player has found all of the treadmill desks, they become "tutorialed out" or powered up and can then consume the ideas.

Blue screen on running desk with joke in QR code and on error message

Standing desk mid shot

Standing desk mid shot with idea meter

The Idea is now being consumed

This repair station repairs the standing desks

View from the first Activator. Pacman can be seen underneath as the area is inspired by Pacman and the famous Metastasis map from the Half Life mod, Minerva.

Idea Gate hidden away in the Idea Hole. Collecting ideas unlocks these gates

Dead Ideas Entrance

The Barghest

Interacting with the Barghest without having his bone

View of level from Dead Ideas

An idea that can run!

Complicated Idea NPC

Complicated Idea NPC: unlocked mission "Find the Bone"

The Barghest's Bone

The Barghest can be bribed with a bone which distracts him from his post and guarding you from your dead ideas.

The Truth NPC

The Truth NPC- The truth gives you the Wacom pen after answering a game nerd question.

The Wacom tablet pen (called Golden Stylus in game), this activates the Wacom stations and unlocks the hidden level art

Water cooler area in between Idea Hole and Conceptualization.

View from Conceptualization. The map is an open hub and spoke which keeps the player always thinking about where to go next and makes the area feel larger than it is because the player traverses multiple times through the same sections.

Conceptualization

Conceptualization is a mirrored maze that can only be escaped by "concepting" your way out.

The player draws on the walls to keep track of where she's going and where she's been.

The doorways show where they lead after the player has entered them or put the ball through them. If the player has not interacted with the door it is a mirror instead.

Conceptualization is a mirrored maze that can only be escaped by "concepting" your way out.

The Wacom tablet is found after escaping conceptualization. Symbolizing the first art that is created during/after the concepting stage.

The Wacom table that activates the level art

The last area of Conceptualization. The Wacom Tablet has been activated and the Idea Hole art is now on.

The last area of Conceptualization. Playtesting Area is visible to bait the player into moving to next space.

The last area of Conceptualization.

Art Activated by Wacom Tablet in Idea Hole.

Art Activated by Wacom Tablet in Main Area. This view shows the player where to travel next by following the Activator globes.

Art Activated by Wacom Tablet in Idea Hole.

Art Activated by Wacom tablet in Idea Hole

3D Modeling Platforms Leading to Playtesting area. This is what the platform looks like before the player has touched it.

3D Modeling Platforms Leading to Playtesting area. The player has pointed at it, it reacts to the input.

Playtesting area, first section

In the first section of Playtesting, the player can see an Activator blocked off with glass. They must figure out how to reach it.

It is revealed that this is the Playtesting area as the player moves past the mystery glass.

Playtesting area

Playtesting area: QA Lead NPC

Playtesting area

Playtesting area: Playtester running out of gates

View of Upstairs in the Playtesting Area. The floor is glass so that the player can see and be reminded of the goal. This area is where they are trying to get the AI Playtester to go.

In the Playtesting area, the cones can be used to guide the AI to the write path by blocking the wrong path.

The Blocks in the Playtesting area are like the other 3D modeling blocks found throughout the world except that only a limited amount can be active at once.

The player has assembled a "level" for the AI to traverse up the stairs. This area is not very challenging and more of a comic relief for an otherwise "punishing" game.