Gameplay

I want to represent the stress by having the set-up mode timed, with added confusion by having different abilities to control through which have different rules. There will be two main gameplay modes, ‘Travelling’ and ‘Set-Up’.

When the game starts, Maxi is already on the train to Fammentimlinse and, having been separated from his friend Paisley, the player can look up and down the train for him.

Travelling

The player gets to meet new characters from different areas, learning about the nations, history, and get to know characters. During this mode, Maxi can befriend the characters in the circus in the pie car, which allows him to use their ability in Set-Up mode.

Set-Up

When Maxi first joins Stellars Circus, Maxi will have already earned Paisley’s gem for his heirloom, meaning that during Set-Up mode, the player can now use the gem to shapeshift into Paisley, meaning that the ghost props that appear when you enter the stage are permanent for as long as the player is transformed into Paisley. During Set-Up mode, the player character (Maxi) is tasked with setting up the stage for a performance, all while making sure that you stay unnoticed by the audience by avoiding the spotlight, and making sure you put all the props into the correct order. The first level is the easiest, the player is being mentored by Desta and has a longer time limit than usual.
In this process, Maxi learns more about the different species of this world and their relationships with each other, both by learning the abilities of the different species through shapeshifting, but also learning about the history and dynamic of the world around him by travelling with the circus and meeting new people.
Following this mode, the performance sequence follows in the form of an animation.

Core Gameplay Loop