Concept Art

Here, I have created a piece of concept art to give a rough visual representation of what my game may look like:

I've also included 3 different variations of what Jive could be doing in the room at any given time. He could be building a trap, listening out for danger or just standing around looking scared.

Conceptualising Characters

In the silhouette stage, I kept all of my concepts simple, yet still full of life. I wanted to keep the same style I originally had in mind, so I made 100 silhouettes and chose my favourites.

Just one of the sheets I made.

In my design, I was looking for something that wasn't too simple, but was still easy to recognise straight away. I eventually went with 3 different silhouettes to develop further in hope that I would see which character I would like to use upon developing them all.

While going through my iterations, there was one shape inparticular that stuck out to me. I decided to try a few variations of this same shape, then try different faces within the shape. At first I thought some were too 'cute' and others weren't fitting for my character's personality. I decided, in order to give him that 'average Joe' appeal, I'd give him bags under the eyes and a small beard (soul patch). This instantly struck me as what I'd want my character to look like, and began evolving this piece into a character and model sheet.

Here is the sketched out model sheet, but since I can't make the character in clay or plasticine due to time constraints, I will clean the image up and give it a nice coat of paint for that graphic effect.

Here we have the final character sheet. This should give a pretty good idea of what Jive would look like in 3-dimensions, which will make it easier for me when I eventually make a model of him.

Here are some of the various expressions and poses Jive would perform throughout the game. These include building, sneaking, screaming, nervousness, listening, accomplishment, scared stiff and hiding. I'm pretty happy with how these have turned out, so now it's time to create the evil Dr. Wumpus.

For Dr. Wumpus, I originally wanted to create a huge brute, but then had the idea of having a Dr. who is similar in style to Jive (as to fit into his world), but being randomised like the levels themselves each time the player met him. For instance, he could be invisible one time, then a huge brute the next, then perhaps a man-machine hybrid. This would add so many possibilities to both the character and the game itself. For the purposes of this project, I will only be designing Dr. Wumpus in his 'normal' state, however.

I really like the idea of the mad Doctor having four arms, maybe with two serving simply an aesthetic purpose to make it seem like Dr. Wumpus has perform many experiments on himself. Also, a moustache is necessary. All great villains have moustaches!

Project 2: Brief Introduction

Concept Visualisation

In this brief, the task is to visualise what exactly our re-imagined game would look like, including its characters  environments and items. Firstly, I will create a whole bunch of silhouettes to determine what shapes would work best for my character, then take the best ones and work on them until a final design is reached. Then, after my characters and perhaps some items are in place, I can create a final model sheet (orthographic) and character sheet (expressions and poses). 

Finally, the project is topped of with a Concept Painting, depicting what the character(s) would look like within a typical situation from the game.

Pitch Presentation

In regards to the previously-mentioned pitch, we had to give a ten minute presentation to our tutors as if we were pitching our game to an actual company. This involved creating a Powerpoint presentation which covered all of the game's key points, such as Features, Mechanics, Characters, Target Audience etc. In my pitch, I started with a brief introduction of the game and what it was about. I explained that it was an adventure game where the player would have to use sound to help them survive, as well as look for items and other collectables to aid them. I then went on to explain the plot, which was a condensed version of the following:

"The Sound Hounds are an elite group of crime-stopping agents who specialise in the expert use of sound. When a rookie agent, Jive, joins the force, he is sent on what is thought to be an easy first assignment. He is given the task of finding and retrieving some children who have been playing in an old abandoned house. Upon entering the house, Jive finds himself locked in, with no way of leaving the way he came. He looks around and spots something on the wall in front of him. It looks like a word written in blood, and Jive can only make out the letters WUMPUS. Upon finding more clues in the room, it becomes clear that there is someone or something else, probably dangerous in the same building that Jive stands in. He needs to get out, using his new-found skills in sound to aid him. Does he risk his life to search for the presumably-dead children, or does he just find a way out for himself? Jive comes to the conclusion that whatever the Wumpus is, it may be the only thing that holds the key to freedom, and one way or another, he will have to find and kill it."

After listing the game key features and mechanics in more detail, I went on to suggest the most fitting platforms for my game. I went with Steam and Xbox Live Arcade since these platforms deliver 'Small games, but huge experiences'. I explained the game's control layout along with some of the actions the player could perform in-game, and then spoke about the target audience. I'd set this at the 17+ demographic, since the game's difficulty, crude humour and level of gore may be unsuitable for younger players. I explained which game's my game would potentially be up against in the Competitive Analysis section, and brought up Luigi's Mansion 2, Amnesia and The Binging of Isaac.

An example of one of my pitch slides.

The pitch seemed to go well, now it's time to complete my Game Design Document in preparation for Project 2. This is a document that provides every little detail about the game for people to read and understand. It will include everything from the pitch, all expanded upon in great detail and anything else that the game has to offer.

Visual Style

I've chosen to go with a very graphic street art style for my game and its characters, since it can be tailored into both a comical style and a visually appealing one. I've also chosen to go down the 'Claymation' route, since I feel that these types of grpahics bring the game to life like no others can. Games like the original Mortal Kombats and Clayfighter are some of the most memorable games to me because it felt like I was playing with some physical. I want to use this technique to re-create the feeling these games gave me when I was younger, but really modernise it to a high-quality standard.

For my pitch, I've made a hand from modelling clay to really add to getting the idea across:

Also, for my pitch, I mocked up a very rough version of what my character's style would eventually be: 

This nails the simple style I'm looking for, and is great to imagine what he could look like when made from clay or plasticine. 

Initial Ideas

For my initial ideas, I need to look at the features of Hunt the Wumpus that I'd like to keep in my re-imagining:

• Permanent Death - I feel this is an important feature of the original as, if the game plays well enough, it will add so much replay value to the game.
• Randomization - This also adds to replay value, since the player's experience is different every time they play.
• Room-to-Room Gameplay - I feel this can be a chilling thing in games. You never know what might lie in the next room and are sometimes hesitant to find out.

These are the main features that I'm going to keep in my game, but only work around, not make the main focus. Otherwise it would just be a copy of the original!

I want to make the game a little more immersive than the original Wumpus, so I think the one thing that was missing from that was audio. In my personal experience, I've found that the key to full immersion is a quiet place, dim lights and the game volume up to a reasonable level. From this, I want to make my game quite sound-based, while retaining the original's key features. I figure, that if I can create a solid game mechanic and Unique Selling Point, this game will stand out from most others due to the sound-based immersion tactic.

I think my target audience will be for people who love games with an atmosphere similar to that of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the perspective and humour of Luigi's Mansion and the roguelike gameplay of classic RPG's and a recent release - The Binding of Isaac. These two games are among my main inspirations for the re-imagining of Hunt the Wumpus, so I'll look at their key features to see what I can translate into my work.

The Binding of Isaac is an excellent example of a roguelike shooter.

The Binding of Isaac:

Even though most people make more of a connection to the original Legend of Zelda, most of the elements present in The Binding of Isaac can also be compared to Hunt the Wumpus in many ways. While the first two aforementioned games are much more interactive playing experiences, a lot of common RPG and roguelike elements are still retained in Hunt the Wumpus. The main part of The Binding of Isaac (and to an extent The Legend of Zelda) I'd like to add to my re-imagining is the exploration element it has. I feel that the Wumpus lacks immersion because all the player does is move from room-to-room in a single frame, and being in a room serves no purpose. I think that, by adding a reason to look in each room, the player will have much more reason to explore the whole map, and not just the vital parts. I'm thinking of adding items into the mix as well, maybe collecting items to build a trap? I think I'll see how it fits in with the other mechanics I'm using...

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

I think that the game's sound mechanic will create a feeling of immersion that works so well, it will also lend itself to the horror aspect of the game. Even though the visuals and characters may seem quite playful, the player will still be fighting for there life with a very low level of defence within the game. This factor will keep the players attention fixated on the game, since they'll need every bit of concentration they have to survive.

Luigi's Mansion


I'm looking to take the light-hearted atmosphere and some of the exploration elements from Luigi's Mansion and incorporate them into my game. Also, I really like the camera perspective used in this game, since it's easy to see where things are in each room without it being a plain bird's-eye-view. I feel like this perspective will also lend to the visual style I have in mind...

Hunt the Wumpus

"Your village has suffered too long from the nocturnal attacks of that horrible beast, the Wumpus. At your coming-of-age ceremony, you vow to do what no other hunter in the village has had the courage to try. Donning an old suit of armour and taking only a torch and a crossbow with a single arrow, you enter the cavernous lair of the Wumpus. The path is unknown, twisting through narrow corridors and forgotten chambers. Ancient pits, built by a dead people for their lost subterranean gods, ooze slime as they wait to claim another explorer. Monstrous bats inhabit the caves, carrying the unaware through the darkness and releasing them again at whim. Most terrible of all is the Wumpus, who slumbers even now in the darkness. Woe to any who come upon the beast in the shadows!

But you have chosen to face these dangers, great as they are. You will free your village or fall in the attempt. Because you alone have chosen to Hunt The Wumpus!"

The original computer game, Hunt the Wumpus, featured a mysterious monster known only to the player as 'The Wumpus' who the player would attempt to kill before they were eaten. The original BASIC version was a text-based game, while it was later ported to other systems with a variety of programming languages and graphical versions. I even managed to find a version on the Android market!

The best version I've managed to find is by Dream Codex Retrogames. This version is the most visually appealing and easy to get the hang of, so this is the one I'll be looking into.

The game's Title Screen.

Contained within the game, are a number of chambers/rooms. These vary in content and type, which are listed on the webpage below the game:

The game's style is comparable to that of the in-built Windows game: Minesweeper. The strategy in figuring out which room the Wumpus is in is very similar in the way that you must look at which rooms surround others to work out which room you're about to step (or shoot) into.

One of an infinite amount of  Wumpus dungeon layouts.

You could also place this game in the 'roguelike' genre, where each game is completely randomized, has a permanent death feature and are typically dungeon crawls. I think, when reinventing Hunt the Wumpus, this is one of the key features I want to keep.