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...