Contents Overview Game Concepts Story / Metaphor Art Style Overview High Concept Ninja-themed 2D platformer as metaphor for the climate / energy crisis. Target Platform X-box Live Arcade / PC Estimated Timeline Work required ~ 200 man-weeks
	Game Concepts In Depth Gameplay Midori plays as a standard 2D side-scrolling platform game, with the player's goal to traverse a series of obstacles as he makes his way across each level. From the start of the game the player can: run either left or right, jump, jump off walls, crouch, crouch then jump (more air, less distance), attack nearby enemies with an energy sword, pick up weapons and throw them at enemies. Attacking with the sword and throwing weapons will use up energy from the player's currently selected meter (either red or green, can be switched at any time). At the end of each level the player will learn new abilities that will also require energy to use. Throughout each level the player will collect items that restore his health and his energy meters. The player enters each level at a Torii gate and will activate several smaller gates throughout the level that act as save points. The player will encounter mystic statues that are activated when hit with energy (either the player's sword or a charged up thrown weapon). Most commonly these will activate the smaller gate save points, but others will alter the terrain to help the player progress. For example, in the beach level a statue will raise or lower the tide; in the jungle level a statue will cause a tree to grow. The player will find a number of powerups that grant him new abilities for a short period of time, such as: infinite energy, a continuous shield, unlimited mid-air jumps, etc.
	Learning Abilities At the end of each level the player will earn a Spirit Point that he can use to purchase a new ability (there will also be Spirit Points hidden throughout the levels and if the player collects enough he may be able to purchase 2 abilities). The first set of abilities can be purchased in any order: Double Jump: Allows the player to perform an extra jump while he is in the air. This will make traversing pits easier and will grant access to higher areas. Attack Boost: Increases the effectiveness of the player's attack. Enemies will take less hits to kill and the player will be able to break through some new obstacles. Dash: Gives the player a short speed boost which will let him traverse areas more quickly and leap over longer obstacles. Shield: Gives the player a brief shield that will defend him against many enemy projectiles. After the player has earned all of the first set of abilities he will be able to chose from the second set. These can also be learned in any order. If a player does not find any of the bonus Spirit Points hidden throughout the levels he will only have two Spirit Point to use (after purchasing the first set of abilities), if he finds all the bonus Spirit Points he will have four left before the end of the game. Triple Jump: costs 2 SP. Gives the player two jumps when in the air. Blaster: costs 2 SP. Allows the player to shoot an energy projectile even if he doesn't have anything to throw. Teleport: costs 2 SP. When dashing the player becomes transparent and is able to pass through any enemy or obstacle. Invulnerability: costs 2 SP. When the player has his shield on he will not take any damage. Jump Efficiency: When performing a mid-air jump the player will consume half the energy as normal. Attack Efficiency: When attacking the player will consume half the energy as normal. Dash Efficiency: When dashing the player will consume half the energy as normal. Shield Efficiency: When using the shield the player will consume half the energy as normal. With the second set of abilities there is overlap with the impact of the player's actions. If the player opts for the enhanced abilities over the efficiencies it will make the levels easier, but far more difficult to complete without using red energy. The player will be told that he should refrain from using red energy by the time he learns all the first set of abilities. When the player gets spirit points: Level 1: 1 SP Level 2: 1 SP + 1 possible bonus SP Level 3: 1 SP + 1 possible bonus SP Level 4: 1 SP + 1 possible bonus SP Level 5: 1 SP + 1 possible bonus SP Level 6 - end of game Lame / temporary 3d model ---->
	Impact of Character Actions Every time the character uses red energy he slowly increases the "Climate Damage" through four stages. At the start of each game level the environment will be different based on the Climate Damage. Let's look at level 5 as an example. If the climate is in Stage 1, the player will be making his way across a snow-covered glacier. If the climate is in Stage 2 there will be significantly less snow, and this might reveal a set of traps that would have otherwise been covered in Stage 1. If the climate is in Stage 3 parts of the glacier will actually be collapsing, forcing the player to act more quickly and redirecting him into an ice cave instead of traversing the top of the glacier as he would in Stage 1 and 2. Finally, in Stage 4, even the stalactites in the cave might start falling onto the player. On top of the changes to the environment the Climate Damage will also increase the number of Shadow enemies. The final boss of the game is an ancient Shadow demon who has been imprisoned in a crystal that shatters due to the player's (and his allies') use of red energy. To foreshadow this and give depth to the setting there will be smaller crystals throughout the game that will either be harmless or release Shadow enemies, depending on the Climate Damage. The amount of climate damage the player can incur per level will be limited, so that the player doesn't accidentally destroy the world before being told of the possibility. Levels 3 and beyond will each have different areas accessable based on whether the Climate Damage is in Stage 1/2 or 3/4
	Path Diverging Some specific examples of how the game-path can diverge, taken from the prototype: Example 1: Here we have a stationary "Windosaur" enemy who blows interval gusts of wind that push the player backwards, and a series of stationary coral enemies that hurt the player if he touches them. If the player has purchased the double jump he can jump up to the higher platform. Alternatively if the player has purchased the shield he can use it to jump onto the coral unharmed, and then onto the upper platform. However, if the player has purchased the dash he can use it to push through the gusts of wind or, if he has the stronger attack, can break the coral and jump over the wind gusts. The two paths lead to distinctly different areas and obstacles that do not reconvene for 1/3 of the level. Example 2: Here is a similar set of obstacles. If the player has the double jump or the dash he can jump across to the higher route which will take him up a mountain. Or, if he has the stronger attack or the shield he can break through / walk over the coral and proceed on the beach. Using this path-diverging design the player's experience in the level will be distinctly different based on which abilities he's chosen. He could play the same level (or indeed, the whole game) four times and it would present new challenges each time.
	Enemy Types Some enemies the player will encounter: Orc: Standard Basic enemy that walks forward. The "goombas" of Midori. One hit kills. Orc: Tough A stronger Orc that charges when the player gets close and is harder to kill. Shadow Class: Floating shadows that wear warrior masks. Can not be hurt through the mask (i.e. must be hit from behind). Once defeated the player can use the mask as a weapon. Some Shadow Class enemies start trapped in crystal, and may or may not break free depending on the Climate Damage. Some Shadow Class enemies can possess other enemies, combining to make a more formidable opponent. Windosaur: Standard: Blows inverval gusts of wind that push the player or any thrown weapons back. The player can dash through the wind gusts. If timed right, the player can curve the arc of a thrown weapon if caught in the wind. Windosaur: Plasma Blows inverval gusts of plasma that damage the player. Player can defend himself with the shield ability. Raptors: Birds (and fish) that kamikaze dive at the player. Can be dodged or killed with a sword. Raptors: Plasma Raptors made of plasma. They can't be killed but the player can defend himself with the shield ability. Corals: Stationary blocks that are covered with plasma. Player can walk on them if using the shield, and can break them with the attack boost. Nuller: Bubble A crawling enemy that is surrounded by an energy-negating field. The player cannot use energy when near one of these and will have to kill them from a distance. Nuller: Blastor Shoots a beam that drains the player's current energy meter.
	Story / Metaphor The player is one of several warrior monks charged with protecting a small village in a river valley. Two other monks, Mura and Mune, will help him out along the way. Each day these warriors journey out from the village into a world swarming with dangerous creatures to collect the spirit energy that grows in certain sacred spots. Each evening they return to the village and give the spirit energy to their Sensei who uses it to forge a mystic wall around the village that protects it from the monsters outside. Any extra spirit energy can be used by the warriors to learn new abilities. This continuous cycle of venturing out to retrieve the spirit energy to protect their families in the village is a metaphor for the modern capitalist lifestyle: heading out to work each day to earn money that will be used to provide for self and family. The first couple levels will show Mura and Mune helping out the player and showing off advanced abilities, to teach the player how to play without breaking the 4th wall and to excite the player about what he'll be able to do later in the game. Between each level there will be cut scenes (skip-able) that show the player with friends in the village, to create an emotional attachment with the world. In level 3 Mune will come to tell the player he's discovered the red energy you have been using is slowly destroying the world and breaking a seal that is holding back an ancient enemy. Mune will also present this to Mura, but Mura will argue that they need to continue using red energy to collect the spirit energy, as defending the village is their top priority. From this point it's up to the player to decide whether he's going to keep using red energy (as it's far easier to get through the levels with the red energy), or if he's going to restrict himself to only green energy, and the game world will change based on his actions. This puts the player in the dilema of the modern capitalist citizen: does he make his life easier by using driving around in a polluting vehicle and burning coal to get cheap energy, or does he make personal sacrifices to save the planet? At the end of level 6 the story reaches its climax. The level 6 boss eventually overpowers the player and Mura intervenes. Mura defeats the level 6 boss with a blast of red energy, but in so doing finally unleashes an ancient Shadow demon. The Shadow's strength is going to be directly related to the Climate Damage, and he will either kill or injure Mura. Mune will arrive and restore the player to full health and do battle with the demon, but will also be killed or injured (again, depending on the Climate Damage). It is then up to the player to finish the job. After the player defeats the Shadow demon he will return to the village and see one of several endings, with Mura and Mune either alive or killed by the demon, and with the entire village possibly destroyed if the player has used too much red energy. The player will be told he can reach the best ending by beating the game without using any red energy which will encourage him to play through it again and will also reward him with a bonus level.
	Art Style The artistic style will depend on how many and what type of artists are interested in joining the team. Styl 1: Retro pixel art, similar to Megaman 9 Stle 2: Painted sprites, similar to Muramasa: Demon Blade Style 3: 3d models rendered as sprites, similar to Donkey Kong Country