Game Mechanics
Resource management:
Players must manage limited spaceship resources such as oxygen and fuel. Gathering materials on planets is crucial but also risky. A crafting system is introduced, where players can use collected resources to upgrade equipment or craft temporary survival tools (e.g. oxygen filters, energy packs).
Choices and consequences:
- Although the game is largely linear, minor decisions (e.g. choosing to agree or disagree with a colleague) can lead to completely different story developments.
- Certain choices may change the behaviour of the New Humans, for example, they may become aggressive or neutral depending on the player’s actions.
Environmental interaction:
- Players can analyse plants and animals, interact with objects to obtain clues, and use the environment to gain an advantage in hiding or combat.
- Introduce environmental hazards such as poisonous gas clouds or collapsing terrain to increase difficulty and immersion.
- Allow the use of drones to remotely explore dangerous areas, adding a strategic element to exploration.
Stealth and evasion:
- Introduce stealth gameplay where on certain planets players must avoid being detected by the new humans, or it could result in death. The level of noise made, the choice of lighting and timing play a key role.
- Add tools such as sound decoys to distract enemies, such as pebbles or sound boxes, to provide tactical options for players.
Sensors and scanning mechanisms:
- Equip players’ ships and equipment with advanced scanning tools such as thermal imaging, motion detection and bioscanners. These tools can be upgraded to enhance their functionality.
- Scanning equipment can also be used to discover hidden clues or weaknesses in the environment.
Player progression:
- Many linear narrative games introduce a skill-based progression system, where players can upgrade different specialties and unlock abilities such as faster scanning, quieter movement or resource conservation when completing tasks.