Haunted House

Concept statement:

"The Thing", disembodied hand, roaming around the Haunted House. Wednesday Adams is hidden under the secret door, sending you messages in the dreams. “The Thing” is not on your side. It has its own desires and behaviour. You will have to bond with it and build the trust, otherwise it wouldn’t collaborate with you. During the mission, slowly you are becoming friends with The Thing, realising there were no Sorcerer causing spell on Wednesday Adams. Wednesday itself is haunting you, dragging into the darkness of the Haunted House and you are cursed to become a demon with a zombie hand.

Genre or category of game:

Spooky action-adventure, platformer. The game is gender neutral and inclusive. It is for everyone above +13 y.o. It is a playground for exploration of non-duality in a relationship dynamic.

Concept creation process/area (e.g. subtractive design, anti-game, mashup, etc.) and influences:

 The “Haunted House” game idea is born out of my love for Family Adams story. The aesthetic of cute horrors, cyber punk and pink gothic. It is inspired by cute pixel horror game “Pink”¹, released in 2020 and influential horror game Yume Nikki, “Strange Telephone”² from 2019, which is surreal adventure game. The idea is to create intriguing adventure with simple dynamic and graphic. An eight-bit pixel art game, weirdly cute but way more terrifying than latest Unreal Engine and HD graphics.

 A true horror, all about psychology. The trick is about how to keep player confused about what is happening. Horror game cannot be very long, because the trigger will be gone. Emotional bonding with the main character The Thing, disembodied zombie hand will bring the inner dynamic of the game behind the main plot. The hand is wild at the beginning but later the player is slowly emotionally bonding with the hand. Later on this leads the player to realise the hidden secret on the mission – The hand is a parasite, the Wednesday doesn’t have to be saved and the player is cursed to become a zombie in the Haunted House.

 The game would start inside of the Haunted House. Levels are the flours, dungeons and the haunted forest around the house. Some of the secondary characters are Tub Monster, Finger Chopper and Stinky Goo are located in the darkness of the house and the forest. The game itself is very minimal but pleasant and intriguing with minimal amount of levels and just a few enemies. The main trick is the plot and feelings of the player. Minimalistic pixel sprites and animation will trigger imagination with funny, spooky sounds. Would be necessary to mention also anti horror games like “Bleed of Fear”, “Dream Logic”, “Anti horror” for more inspirations.  And last but not least of course “Family Adams” movies aesthetic from 1964, 1993, 2022.

Audience and competitive analysis:

“Haunted House” is It is indie game, non mass market, horror adventure, gender neutral and inclusive game for everyone above +13 y.o. Game is targeting very broad range of audience from teenagers to adults, with all varieties of interests, age and gender. Inclusive horror adventure has good chances to become popular on the indie games market. Game is intriguing in its simplicity but with concept of emotional bonding of the player with the main character to be able to continue playing the game.

As article in https://www.sostandard.com/ said : “Horror games are a cornerstone of the world of gaming content creation.”³ According to this blog: “At the time of writing, Phasmophobia, a co-operative multiplayer ghost hunting game that was released in September, reports an average concurrent viewership of over 78.3 thousand viewers across the past month. Meanwhile, on YouTube, popular creators Markiplier and Jacksepticeye each have Phasmophobia videos that boast over 3 million views and over 2 million views, respectively.”⁴. To mention some of the similar examples on the market: Lone Survivor (2012) - A survival horror game with psychological elements where the player controls a man trapped in an infected city; Yume Nikki (2004) - An exploration game that takes place within the dreams of a young girl, featuring surreal environments and unsettling imagery; The Witch's House (2012) - A puzzle-oriented horror game where the player must explore a house filled with deadly traps and gruesome secrets, they are all pixel horror games.

Unique Selling Points (USPs): 

·       Gameplay mechanics - Unique and engaging gameplay mechanics in between The Thing and the player, that set the game apart from others in the same horror genre.

·       Narrative - A compelling and original storyline about Wednesday Adams and The Thing that draws player in and keeps them engaged in the Haunted House.

·       Simple Pixel graphics and strange visual style - unique art style, inspired by Adams Family movies, cyber punk and pink gothic that sets the game apart from others in the same genre. For example, minimalistic weird hand-drawn aesthetic of the world and UI design.

·       A unique and engaging player mode that provides a fresh and exciting experience for players.

·       Soundtrack and audio design - A distinctive soundtrack and sounds that sets the moody tone of the game and enhances the player's experience. For example, the hauntingly beautiful soundtracks and sounds of echoes.

                                                                                                  Game treatment and concept art

Executive summary (game concept, genre, target audience, project scope, etc.):

·       Game concept - “Haunted House”, spooky adventure platformer, gender neutral game with dark sense of humour and 8 bit visual and audio aesthetic. Game targeting broad audience above 13 y.o and will be a catch for everyone who likes dark humour and vintage horrors.  

·       The aim of Haunted House is to produce fun, addictive and spooky adventures platformer game, inspired by Family Adams and cyber punk, goth aesthetic and with dark sense of humour.

Brief Story:

The game is a point-and-click adventure game set in the creepy and mysterious mansion of the Family Adams. The main focus of the game is on the "Thing", a disembodied hand that roams around the mansion and can interact with objects in the environment. The player can control the Thing directly, using it to reach inaccessible areas, manipulate objects, and even scare other characters.

Throughout the game, the player will encounter other members of the Family Adams, as well as various creepy creatures and traps that have been set up to deter intruders. The player must use their wits and their knowledge of the mansion's secrets to progress through the game. The game begins with your arrival to the mysterious mansion. Wednesday Adams was enchanted and trapped under the secret door, inside the mansion, with no way to escape. It soon becomes apparent that the mansion is a trap for anyone who dares to enter. The player takes on the role of the saviour who has decided to help the trapped Wednesday to escape. However, as player explore the mansion, they discover that there is more to the plan than meets the eye. Player must unravel the mysteries of the mansion, confront The Thing, disembodied hand and become a friends with it. Fight with the monsters. And discover that there is much more hidden under the surface of this story. 

1.3 Game structure:

The game is a 2D platformer where the player controls a character The Thing, who must navigate through a series of levels to reach the end goal. The game is divided into several floors, each with its own theme and unique challenges. Each flour has a set difficulties, increasing as the player progresses through the game. 

Game Mechanics:

The player can move left and right using the arrow keys, and jump using the space bar. The player must use these basic movements to navigate through each level, avoiding obstacles and defeating enemies.

The player can collect power-ups such as bones and sculls, potions, and temporary invincibility. The potions can be used to gain additional power-ups or extra lives.

Combat:

The player can defeat enemies by jumping on top of them, which will cause them to disappear. Some enemies, such as Bath Tub Monster, may require multiple hits to defeat. The player can also use power-ups, such as a ranged attack or a temporary invincibility shield, to assist in combat.

Physics:

The game uses a physics engine to simulate gravity and momentum. The player's movements and jumps are affected by the physics engine, making the gameplay feel more realistic. Additionally, the game includes a variety of environmental obstacles, such as moving platforms and chopping knives, that are affected by the physics engine.

Player: Player navigates the hand – The Thing, but it is not friendly from the start and creates obstacles, wile the game is progressing player is bale to navigate the hand better and better.

Objectives:

1.         Escape the mansion: The Thing could be trying to escape from the mansion and the player could control its movements as it navigates through various rooms, avoiding traps and enemies.

2.         Solve puzzles: The player could encounter puzzles that require using The Thing's unique abilities, such as crawling through small spaces or reaching hard-to-reach areas, to progress through the game.

3.         Collect items: The player could collect items scattered throughout the mansion that are needed to solve puzzles or unlock new areas. These items could include keys, tools, and other useful objects.

4.         Cause mischief: The Thing could engage in mischief and pranks throughout the mansion, such as turning off lights, knocking over vases, or moving objects to confuse the player.

5.         The Thing could defend mansion from outside threats, such as burglars or rival families, using its unique abilities to sabotage their plans.

6.         Discover hidden secrets: The Thing could explore hidden areas of the mansion to uncover secrets and magic potions that provide additional context or backstory for the Haunted House. 

Graphics and Sound:

The game will feature a dark and moody atmosphere, with lots of shadowy corners and creepy details. The graphics will be hand-drawn and simple, with a focus on the macabre and surreal aspects of the mansion. Pixel graphic and animation with simple but artistically weird elements, 8 bit music.

The sound design will be similarly atmospheric, with lots of creaking floorboards, eerie whispers, and unsettling background music.

Overall, "Haunted House" will be a creepy and engaging adventure game that will appeal to fans of the Family Adams and anyone who loves a good mystery.

Gameplay:

7.         Platforming, jumping and navigating through levels. Player have to jump over gaps, dodge obstacles, and climb up ledges to progress through the game.

8.         Power-ups could be scattered throughout the levels, which the player can collect to gain temporary abilities such as increased speed, invincibility, or the ability to jump higher. Alternatively, the player could collect items such as keys or potions that unlock new areas or provide health boosts.

9.         Enemies could be placed throughout the levels to add difficulty and challenge to the game. These enemies could range from simple creatures that walk back and forth, to more complex enemies that require strategy to defeat.

10.      Boss battles could be added at the end of levels or in specific areas of the game. These could be large, difficult enemies with specific weaknesses that the player must exploit to defeat.

11.      Hidden areas could be scattered throughout the levels, which the player must discover and explore to find secrets and extra rewards.

12.      Time-based challenges. Some levels could have a time limit, which adds pressure to the player to complete the level quickly. This could be used to make the game more challenging.

13.      Environmental hazard that the player must navigate around or avoid, such as Stinky forest, spikes, lava, or chopping knives.

14.      Puzzles could be placed throughout the levels that require the player to use their abilities and knowledge of the game mechanics to solve. These could be used to add variety to the game and break up the platforming sections. 

Frond End:

·       Intro

·       Music/sounds

·       Simple animation

·       Menu/score

·       UI 

Assets:

·       2D sprites,

·       Levels

·       2D pixel world,

·       pixel animation.

·       8bit sound effects,

·       Music

Sprites and main characters will be created by me, the other assets would be found on open source  storage with some modifications.

Inspirations for assets:

https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/cyangmou-on-twitter--124763852162863816/

Inspirations for music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOC8kv9CK9I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPck3-s2Gqg

8 bit Adams Family Game for inspirations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAJUVthdFyM

Credits:

1.     Video Game “Pink” by AugoGames  https://augogames.itch.io/pink;

2.     Video Game “Strange Telephone” by HZ3Software;

https://store.steampowered.com/app/705290/Strange_Telephone/;

3.     Article “The Intersection of Esports & Influencer Marketing: Horror Games” https://www.sostandard.com/blogs/the-intersection-of-esports-influencer-marketing-horror-games/;

4.     Mike Dailly, "Race'n'Chase" March 22, 1995. https://www.gamedevs.org/uploads/grand-theft-auto.pdf;

5.     Brian Freyermuth, Brotherhood of Steel2 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b6TVJHAjtsK12qmDn9M8CdoUSHS1OHwY/view;

6.  Sound for the inspirations 

7. The Thing  8 bit pixel art by 

@8Bit_Poet 

https://twitter.com/8Bit_Poet/status/839354734213545984/photo/1 

8. Inspirations from Adams Family Value Video Game produced by Ocean Software and released in 1994 for the Super NES (in North America and Europe) and Sega Mega Drive (in Europe only).