WahGwan Sumfest DesignDoc 2

D E S I G N D O CFOR WAH GWAN SUMFEST

MUSIC B

© 2014 FAMJAM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

C R E AT E D B Y:

LILY JIANG, ANDREA ZEHR, CODY POULTNEY, SOPHIA CHAN, LEO LIU, NIKKI VERMA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section I - Game Overview/Description ______________________

Section II - Interface, Prototype and Game Mechanics _________

Section III - Wireframes ___________________________________

Section IV - Sketches and Concept Art _______________________

Section V - Management __________________________________

Wah Gwan Sumfest Game Design Doc �2

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Core Concept

Wah Gwan Sumfest is a hidden object game where players receive a randomly

generated list of clues pertaining to items they are required to collect. The player

is taken to a scene where they must work quickly to solve the clues, enabling

them find the hidden items buried amongst tons of clutter. Players receive points

for every item they find, but the longer they take the find the items and solve the

clues, the less points they are rewarded. Amongst searching for hidden objects,

they are given three attempts at guessing if an unrelated hidden object is related

to an undisclosed performing artist; if they guess right the artists identity is

unveiled. Players final score is recorded on a global leaderboard, and top scoring

players are rewarded with free tickets or merchandise.

Target Demographics and Play Habits

Wah Gwan Sumfest targets casual game players in both North America as well as

Jamaica, millennials aged 17 - 35. The average of this group - 31 - is the average

age of gamers in North America. This age group enjoys activities like music

festivals, by creating a game that would allow players to experience the backstage

of the most popular music festival in Jamaica, this game will be able to raise a

great deal of excitement to its players. This age group are also the most active

members on social media, and the most likely to participate in video game

contests. In addition, more than one fifth of the population are Facebook users,

with more than half aged 18 and older. Therefore, we believe that it is best for our

game to collaborate with Facebook, having the ability to share the game on

Facebook or develop it as a Facebook mini game in which awareness would be

reached more effectively and efficiently. From our research we have discovered

that around 78% of all Jamaican household use mobile phones as their sole

means of communication. However, one problem with designing our game on

mobile platform is that although the majority of Jamaican people own mobile

phones, yet not all mobile phone owners uses smartphones, and not all

Section I - Game Overview/Description


Wah Gwan Sumfest Game Design Doc

smartphone users have phones with Android or iOS systems. Also, hidden object

games generally requires a large screen in order for players to clearly identify

items, this means developing Wah Gwan Sumfest as a webpage game would be a

more realistic choice.

Unique Features

Wah Gwan Sumfest is an online platform hidden object game that allows players

to engage with festival artists and activities. The mechanics of Wah Gwan Sumfest

will be similar to Gardenscapes 2, and that of traditional hidden object games. In

Gardenscapes 2 the user must search through various messy rooms to find 15

unique items per stage. Players are rewarded by coins, based on how quickly they

can locate and click on the items. Wah Gwah Sumfest differentiates itself from

tradition HOGs in numerous ways: it utilizes a clue system instead of an object

list, awards users using a time influenced points system, and provides the players

with a limited number of chances to discover undisclosed performing Sumfest

artist identities.

Once the game begins, the player will use their mouse to click on objects they find

within the scene. The timer, which is hidden from the users view, will be used to

deduct points from the required items point value. The longer a player takes to

find an item, the less points they will receive for finding it. In Gardenscapes 2 the

user is given a list of five items, which lists who the item is for and how much

money they will receive for finding it. This dollar value decreases over certain set

blocks of time, until the player finds the item. In Wah Gwan Sumfest the player

will be unable to see the point value of each item, so the decreasing point value

will not be immediately apparent. Users will be given five clues at a time, out of a

total of fifteen they must solve; these clues will relate to the item that the player

must find within the scene. Every time a player finds a required item, points are

added to their score, and the ‘found item’ clue is replaced by a new clue up until

fifteen items have been found. Clues will be related to Sumfest, and will range

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from very easy to very hard. The game will randomly assign each player fifteen

clues from a larger database of potential clues. Clues will be listed along the left

side of the players screen, allowing them to reread them as many times as

needed.

Competition plays a big role in our game, because every second the user takes to

find an item impacts their overall score, decreasing their odds at winning a prize.

Within the game we plan to add bonus items that will be extremely hard to find,

and require using a “reveal attempt” point. These items will be related to an

unreleased performing artist’s identity, and no clues will be given regarding that

item. Each player will be given three “reveal attempt” points, which they can use

in an attempt to discover undisclosed artists. The artist reveal requires the player

to press a “reveal attempt” button on the left side of their screen. If a player

believes they have found an item relating to a performing artist within their

current scene, they can click on the “reveal attempt” button. Once they click this

they can then click the item they believe is related to an artist. If the player is

correct, they will be rewarded with the artist’s identity. Each “reveal attempt”

consumes one of three “reveal attempt” points, so users must use them sparingly.

If a user clicks on a related artist unveil item without first clicking on the “reveal

attempt” button, it will be treated as a non-interactive item. Allowing each player

three attempts at unveiling an artist stops users from continuously clicking all

over the screen to reveal artists. Sumfest doesn’t release their artist lineup until

very close to the date, keeping the lineup very secretive, so unveiling an artist is

one of the largest rewards in the game. Players have unlimited time to complete

Wah Gwan Sumfest levels, but with every second their chances at wining a prize

decrease. Searching for artist reveal items will be highly time consuming, so

players will have to decide what is more important to them; searching for items

that could reveal a performing artist, or solving clues and finding all 15 required

items to win a prize.

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To ensure players are not consistently clicking to find items, there will be a limit to

how many times a user can click within five seconds. If a user clicks at too fast of

rate, they will be given a timeout. This timeout will disable the user from clicking

on any objects for a set time period, which in turn decreases their total potential

points. This timeout system will discourage rapid clicking, encouraging fair play

amongst all players.

Once a player finds all fifteen required items, the game will conclude and the

player’s score will be displayed and added to a global leaderboard. The global

leaderboard will be used to determine which players receive prizes based on top

scores.

Key Challenges

Wah Gwan Sumfest challenges players in many different ways. Not only must the

player scan the screen for numerous hidden objects, they must also crack clues to

figure out what these objects are. The clues will range from details easily found on

Sumfest’s FaceBook page, to harder to find information like past line-ups and

major events. Once the player has solved the clue, they must then find the hidden

object as quickly as possible to maximize their total points. Players will only be

able to register and play Wah Gwan Sumfest one time; this prevents players from

being able to solve clues easier during a second play through. Randomly

generated clues and required items from a large database of potential clues will

reduce the likelihood of two players having the same series of clues, helping deter

friends from sharing clue answers and item locations.

Level

Wah Gwan Sumfest will have one level staged as an artist’s tour bus. The view will

be from the front of the bus looking in, and will be extremely cluttered and messy.

The idea is to make the hidden objects as hard to find as possible, so crowding

and layering of items is paramount. The bus will contain various seating areas, a

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sleeping area and an eating area, in three-dimensional space. Since tour buses

are lengthy, the scene will have quite a bit of depth, making items in the back of

the bus even more difficult to see.

Purpose

Wah Gwan Sumfest is an informative promotional hidden object game. The game

aims to be informative utilizing two information channels. The first channel is the

clues players must solve to find each item. Instead of simply listing items to find,

we will use clues relating to past and present Sumfest information. These clues

will provide an advantage to seasoned Sumfest attendees, and encourage

newcomers to research past events. The second channel is through our secret

performer reveal hidden objects. These object will be hidden within the bus

without any clues as to what or where they are. If a player does get lucky enough

to land on such an item, they will unlock an artist unveil. By having a chance to

win tickets to Sumfest, and countless other prizes, we hope to create a buzz

around the upcoming festival. Having a game that people can talk about with their

friends, along with the potential to unveil a secret performer, will build hype

around the upcoming festival. To further promote Sumfest we plan to create a

Sumfest ticket draw for those who share Wah Gwan Sumfest on FaceBook. This

will encourage our fans on FaceBook to share the game with friends, and potential

new attendees.

Interaction

We would like to keep the user experience of the game as simple as possible, by

restricting players’ interact with the game solely by using the left mouse button on

activities such as finding items, progressing through levels, and interact with

buttons that are displayed on the game screen. To prevent players from abusing

hidden object games by rapidly pressing on the game screen, we will implement a

system that will give players a brief time out when players start to press the

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mouse aggressively.

Fictional Advancement Aspect

The bare minimum requirement for players to complete the game, is that players

must find all of the required items within the given time limit. In order for players

to win prizes in the game, they must be among the top positions in the score

board. To achieve high points in the game, players must gather the required items

as fast as possible. To unlock secret performing artists at the show, players must

find the bonus items that are extremely difficult to find. For those players that

have done enough research on Reggae Sumfest, there are always different

chances to “win” the game.

Design for Specific Audiences

Wah Gwan Sumfest is a game specifically designed for two types of audiences.

The first type of players are social media activists, who love the element of

competition and wining prizes. The fully developed version of the game will allow

the game to be shared through social media platforms like Facebook. Those

people who are constantly active on social media will be unable to resist the

temptation to play the game and compete with their friends. The second type of

audience that the game targets are those who enjoy music festivals and Reggae

music. By giving players a backstage experience to Reggae Sumfest, the game

will be able create excitement to those who are real fans of Reggae Sumfest. Also

the top prize of two free tickets to the actual event are huge selling points to

music festival lovers.


Menu

The menu of Wah Gwan Sumfest consists of 3 component. The game’s name and

icon are displayed at the top of the games menu, ensuring that at a first glance,

players will be able to recognize the game. Pressing the “instructions” button will

take players to the instructions page, where players will be provided with a brief

explanation of the game, along with instructions on how to play. Pressing the

“start” button will begin the game. Player must enter his or her name before the

game begins in order for it to appear on the scoreboard. After the name is

submitted, an intro screen appears with a cartoon character narrating the

storyline. The player can use the arrow button in the speech bubble to skip the

sentences, or simply using the larger arrow button displayed on the right hand

corner of the screen to skip the entire storyline.

Progression

The game begins with a scene in a tour bus that belongs to mysterious artists who

will be performing in the Reggae Sumfest. The inside of the tour bus is extremely

messy, filled with different kinds of items that players can interact with using the

mouse. On the left hand side of the screen are a list of items that the player must

find, successfully finding an item will display a check mark on the list beside the

item’s name. Below the item list, the hint button provides players with hints to

locate tricky items in the game. The bar displayed at top centre of the screen is a

countdown time bar, that allows the player to see how much time is left in the

game, it is also a perfect tool to give players a nervous breakdown. Score points

are displayed on the right hand side of the screen. pressing the menu button

pauses the game, a pop up menu appears with “Sound effects” and “Background

Music” switches, and “Quit Game” button that takes the player back to the main

menu. If the player fails to find all items within the time limit, the screen displays

“times up” and the player fails the game. If the player find all items in time, he or

she will be taken to a screen that reveals the identity of the mysterious artist. No

Section II - Interface, Prototype and Game Mechanics


matter the outcome of the game, every player will be able to see their score on

the scoreboard at the end of the game. On the scoreboard page the player can

choose to go back to the main menu, or to submit their score.

Prototype

From constructing the wireframe prototype, our team learned the importance of

maintaining implementable game concepts. Prior to the development of our

physical prototype, our team thought of creating competition and sharing

elements through social media. The two concepts allow players to compete their

scores with other players through the scoreboard and then share the game on

social medias such as Facebook and Twitter. The player with the best score will

receive two free tickets to the Reggae Sumfest. The idea is perfect for the

marketing purpose of our game, however, while we were creating the prototype,

we realized that there is no way for us to implement the two concepts through

Gamesalad and it would require much more programming beyond our current

abilities. We decided to take out the unimplementable concepts from the game, to

ensure programmability. Undoubtedly, our original concept were excellent ways to

market the Reggae Sumfest, therefore we will keep them in our proposal for the

clients, they will be add-ons towards the game’s future development.


Section III - Wireframes

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Section IV - Sketches and Concept Art

Sketch: Tour Bus Interior

Concept Art: Version 1 of Hidden Object Game in Action



Style Guide

Colors

The pallette of Wah Gwan Sumfest consists of very eye-popping and lively colors

accented by a rich yellow, safari green and fresh red to remind the audience of the

rastafari colors. We are catering the game to a hip market, and thus we chose to

emulate a pop art style created by solid shading and prominent, sleek black

outlines.

Background

We chose to set the game in a modern tour bus, featuring contemporary sofas,

pot lights and technology. Easter egg items and decoration are scattered to give

players hints regarding the mysterious artist to be featured in the upcoming

Sumfest (such as the artist’s wig in the concept art).

Typography

Albeit the concept art has handwritten text, we plan to implement a type that is

reminiscent of funky handwriting. This gives the game a more personalized, funky

atmosphere that reflects the festival.

Martin - Character Design


Main Character

Martin is a laid-back Jamaican who works backstage assisting the performers. Due

to his small role in the game, we chose a simple outfit completed with shades to

minimize the player’s focus on this character.

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Section V - Management

Organization and Communication

As a group, we communicate directly through Facebook. We collaborate and

complete deliverables based on the below general schedule, team meetings and

assigned tasks. The primary form of communication in writing is through Google

Docs. Schedule is to be updated after week 9 based on playtesting feedback.

Week Task Task Description Time Estimate Date Completed People Assigned

Week 6 Prepare Content for Design Document.

Write parts and add to GoogleDoc.

2-3 Hours. Saturday, February 14th.

Game Overview - SOPHIA Gameplay - CODY + LEO Interface - LEO Game Art - NIKKI & LILY Section V - Management - ANDREA

Finalize Contributions for Design Document.

Proof read your own and peers work, confirm in Facebook group once completed.

2-3 Hours. Sunday, February 15th.

All responsible for final edits.

Reading Week Create Game Assets ie. Background and Characters

Use tablets and other forms of design to create.

12-24 Hours. Sunday February 22nd.

Lily and Nikki.

Week 7 Get working in Gamesalad.

Bring in assets and start coding.

12-24 Hours. Sunday March 1st.

Leo and Cody.

Week 8 Finalize Prototype.

Week 9 Perform Playtesting.

Playtest game with 5 volunteers while others take notes.

1-2 Hours. Friday March 13th.

Andrea - Minutes, Compile all notes. All Group - Observe and take notes.

Week 10 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Week 11 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Week 12 TBD Game Due Trailer & Pitch TBD TBD TBD

Documents

WahGwan Sumfest DesignDoc 2