Game Overview
My 2023 overview of the game has points that are still true to my intended vision of the game.
- No Permadeath, only checkpoints
- 5 Levels
- Friendly and unfriendly animals
This is a good summary to my game and I will expand on my ideas that I’ve added since then!
Old 2023 Mood board
As I’ve said before, this idea isn’t new. I have an old mood board from a year ago on which I explored the character design and aesthetics of the game. In this mood board, I focus more on the PS1 and Y2k aesthetics of the game. While I agree with some of the aesthetics, I want to redefine what particular aesthetic I’m going for, which I will discuss in a later post.
Character Ideas
I drew a few concept designs for my Rat characters: A customised Rat named Rico and an unnamed customised rat. Rico was a test for a few customisation options such as Tattoos, Dying fur, Hairstyles and Accessories. I think the character design is quite charming. If you’ve ever watched Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, he is heavily inspired by the host, Guy Fieri. His “rocker” style was a big influence on this character. While Rico was just a test, I feel like I could probably add him to the game as a reference.
For the second rat, they are a test for the effects of customisation. This rat has dyed yellow fur and a gummy worm tail. My initial idea was for a gummy worm tail to give an energy boost or for you to “bounce off the walls”. Studies show that Rats react positively to the taste of sugar, and are attracted to it.
I thought wacky upgrades like that would suit the quirky nature of the game.
Foxes as Enemies
I also thought about the mechanic of Foxes, one of the enemies. Foxes would appear in snowy and forest landscapes. If I could simulate changing seasons, like in Pokemon Black and White, where the season checks your current date and timezone. The season will then change according to this info. I think foxes would appear most in Winter but have a lower chance of being encountered in the other seasons.
I still have yet to expand on foxes other than this, so hopefully I will make a more solid concept.
