WIXLIB

Game Design Document

SUMMARYBeer Run is a 3D first-person endless runner game for mobile devices which uses theaccelerometer to control the character. The player’s aim is to run as far as they possibly canacross five lanes before they lose in order to achieve a high score, which they can then try tobeat. The player controls Barry, or “Bazza,” as he runs around the outside of the MCG whileholding a beer in his left hand. By tilting the device, the player must avoid the oncomingobstacles and NPCs while also trying not to spill the beer they are carrying. If the device is tiltedtoo much, the beer will spill. If the player hits an obstacle, it is game over. If the player losesover 40% of their beer, the game is also lost.GAMEPLAYThe game is from a fast-paced first-person perspective, with the main focus on the beer inthe character’s right hand. The character runs around the MCG passing shops, people andobstacles, and it is the player’s objective to tilt their device left or right in order to dodgeobstacles that may appear before them. They may collect kangacoins, the game’s currency,along the way while also encountering the occasional power-up.

If the player runs into an obstacle - whether it is a person standing in the way or anunfortunately positioned bin - the player will lose a set amount of their beer. If the player losesmore than forty percent of their beer or collides with an obstacle, it is game over. Obstacles willvary between people, rubbish bins, wet floor signs, mop buckets and NPCs standing around.Guards, which are also an obstacle of sorts, will run toward the player to pose a moving threat.The game will feature coins that the player must collect along the way, which contributesto their score. The score is displayed on the HUD up the top of the screen, as well as thenumber of coins and the player’s high score. The coins may also be used to purchase upgradesfor power-ups as well as potential customisable items for characters. Coin packs will also beavailable for purchase with real money in the app’s in-game store.Art StyleBeer Run aims to appeal to a wide audience (teenagers to adults) with its theme, thepopular style of gameplay, and its cartoony appearance. The graphics of the mobile gameSubway Surfers is similar to what Beer Run aims for. The subject matter is intended to behumorous, and therefore has appropriate stylised graphics to complement the tone.The bright colours help to convey the fun, playful vibe we want to use to appeal to ourplayers. Assets such as environmental art will be simple, low-poly and also cartoonish. A blackoutline will accompany the objects and characters to aid with the stylised effect. Theperspective is first-person, which provides just as much chance for stylisation as a third-persongame would. Bringing the world to life hinges greatly on the quality of the art and a consistentstyle, which we certainly want to achieve.

CharactersThe main character, Bazza, is a youthful skinny male wearing stereotypical Australianclothes (denim shorts, work boots, flannelette shirt). The model will have a low-polygon countto maximise the effectiveness of the game given that it is for mobile devices. This will give ourgame and our playable character a more cartoonish look which fits in with our aesthetic. Thereis a secondary female character, Sharon or “Shazza,” who is also going to be characterised as abogan. She does not have concept art yet.NPCsThe non-playable characters in Beer Run will be only those who act as obstacles in the wayof the player’s path. These characters will be rather simple in design and will also have a lowpolygon count, similar to the 3D art in the rest of the game. Security guards are a major part ofthe regular gameplay. Their bulky forms are designed to be intimidating so that the playersinstantly know to avoid them where possible.

ObstaclesObstacles will appear in the player’s path to present a challenge. Players will have to avoidthem in order to keep from spilling their beer. The following obstacles are all in the game:Bin with boxesWet floor sign and mopA row of binsThe obstacles appear randomly as the player runs down the lanes. Future plans include“kits” that appear in the same order every time, but appear every certain increment of distance.The obstacles are vibrant in appearance and are intended to be obvious hazards. The collectiblecurrency in Beer Run are Kangacoins, which the player can use to purchase power-up upgradesand others in the in-game store.EnvironmentDue to the fact that Beer Run is set in a sports stadium, the list of assets andenvironmental art will be relevant to a sports field. Examples of environment assets are asfollows: concrete ground, walls, seats, shops interiors, stairs, toilet signs, posters, banners, andthe obstacles listed above. The aim with the environment is to have it bright, prominent, andpleasant to look at. The ground has painted lines to make the player’s lane position obvious.

SoundThe sounds present in Beer Run are happy to fit the mood, light-hearted and catchy. Thequality for sounds must be very good to keep up with the standard of the game. Assets thatsound muffled, have audible static, or are lossy files will not be suitable. Audio is very importantfor player feedback, and when it’s of a lesser quality, each sound’s impact is greatly suppressed.All assets will be royalty free unless there is a need to purchase a track or some soundeffects that cannot be obtained freely. A full disclaimer document accompanies the documentsfor the game, and the music and sounds will be credited in the game’s credits if applicable.Sounds present are for the following segments of the game: Background musicObtaining power-ups (unique to each)Colliding with obstaclesGuard vocalisationsCrowd ambiance (cheering, booing, etc)Five tracks for the dancing power-upUI sound effectsCollecting coinsControlsOriginally the only control for the game was going to be the accelerometer. However,upon doing further research, we discovered that it would be better to have some alternativeways to control the game. This would be good for a number of reasons, from making itconvenient for people due to preferences to giving those who are unable to use theaccelerometer a fair chance at using the game, whether it’s due to injury or disability.Each available control will have a brief tutorial to accompany the gameplay tutorial, whichis shown to the player when they first open the game to play it (not yet integrated).Tilting the deviceBy tilting the mobile device to the left and right, the player can control the character’sposition on the screen and glide between the five lanes. Tilting controls both the player’sposition and also the level of the beer in the glass, meaning that tipping too far to one side orthe other will cause beer to spill. The player must therefore find a balance between tippingenough to avoid the obstacles while making sure that they do not spill their beer.

Using the sliderIf the accelerometer settings are changed in the game’s options menu, then the player hasthe option to use their finger to control a spring-based slider on the screen. The player has justas much control over whether or not their beer will spill if they use the slider than if they usethe accelerometer.Touch controlsA future setting that we plan to add will look to accommodate for those who may not likethe slider or the accelerometer, or who may not be physically able to use either of those controlmethods. This will be a simple touch system; the player can simply tap either side of the screento control Barry’s movements. The invisible ‘buttons’ will be placed along the height of thedevice so that the player can tap as far up or down as they wish.Power-upsThere are five power-ups in Beer Run which can contribute to the player’s gameexperience and overall score. Only one can be purchased in the in-game store, and the otherfour can be encountered while playing the game regularly. However, those four power-ups canbe upgraded in the store up to ten times each. It costs in-game currency to buy each upgrade,and the higher the upgrade, the more expensive it will be to buy.

The available power-ups are as follows:Multiplier – a bottle cap with x2 written on itEffect: the player collects double their score while this power-up is active. The player’s UIwill catch fire and excitable text will flash on the screen for an exaggerated effect.Upgradable. Unavailable for purchase in store.Freeze – an ice cubeEffect: the player’s beer freezes over and cannot be spilled while it is active. The player’sscreen also gains a frosty tint around the edges, and a freezing sound plays.Upgradable. Unavailable for purchase in store.Shield – the player’s hand goes over their cupEffect: shields the player from an obstacle for one hit.Not upgradable. Available for purchase in store. no image yet Beer Refill – a beer tapEffect: refills the player’s beer while they run by a certain increment.Upgradable. Unavailable for purchase in store. no image yet Bust-a-Move – a boom boxEffect: makes the guards stop running and start dancing while one of five tunes plays.Upgradable. Unavailable for purchase in store.

Scoreboard & FacebookPlayers have the option to connect to Facebook. If they choose to do so, they are able toinvite their friends to play Beer Run and they may also gain access to a worldwide scoreboardwhich shows the world’s highest scores. Alternatively, the players may elect to simply competeagainst themselves and have a scoreboard tailored only to them. If they do connect toFacebook, they get a reward of a sum of coins.GAME STATESSplash ScreenThe splash screen needs to be updated, but this is the current one, showing Barry, our game’smain character, running with a beer. This sums up our game and its tone instantly.

Main MenuThe main menu consists of Barry dancing in the middle of the stadium ground. This is forcomedic value. Buttons available to be pressed are the options menu, which the player canaccess to edit their sound volume, see the credits, and control settings. The player can alsoconnect to Facebook using a button on the menu.The two main functions of this menu are the “Play” feature, which begins a run, and the“Shop” button, which takes the player to a shop where they can purchase upgrades for powerups as well as purchase additional characters or content for the game. Coin packs are alsoavailable for purchase for real money. Otherwise, the shop uses the in-game currency of‘Kangacoins.’

OptionsThere is a set list of options in the “Options” menu, where the player will be able tochange the language, select the credits, calibrate their accelerometer or change fromaccelerometer control to touch-slide control, and change the music volume.Game State UIUp the very top, the player’s highest score is displayed. Below it is the current score for the currentgame, then below that is the number of coins the player has collected. The coins add to the score at thevery end, when the game ends.One thing we are looking to add is an indicator for the beer’s percentage. At the moment, it’s onlya few numbers on the glass indicating the amount still inside—similar to a measuring cup. It’s importantto have that on the screen so that the player is aware of how much beer they are losing, so that they canadjust their playing style if they find that they are losing too much. If the beer percentage was notavailable for the player to see, it would be an unfair playing experience.When the player collects a multiplier power-up, the UI is meant to catch fire. This is meant to beridiculous and silly, adding to the experience and the player feedback. When the player encounters anice block power-up, the whole screen takes on a frosty look.