So, here’s my game design idea. Perhaps it’s a little overzealous for a ‘Choose your own adventure’ text game, but the picture in my head is vast and seems like it’s infinitely expandable, so this definitely helps put things in perspective and lays the ground work to set some expectations for myself. I’m typically extremely disorganized, which can flat-line my goals pretty quickly, so clarifying those goals upfront is an extremely valuable and important step. As such, game design lessons like this one are very helpful to me. Thanks Rick, and keep up the good work!
Game Theme
A psychological horror based around the phenomenon of sleep paralysis and the hallucinations/nightmares commonly associated with the experience. I read one account of an individual who was so terrified by what they had experienced that even after breaking the paralysis, they ‘wasted no time bolting out of bed’ to the safety of their front yard and sunshine. I thought it would be neat to explore a scenario in which the nightmare continues even after ‘waking up’, and the individual is forced to cope with the fact that their home is no longer safe. With the discovery that the house has mysteriously lost power, their only hope to overcome the impending sense of doom is to escape their home and seek the sanctuary of a light source. Depending on their decisions, the player can either banish their nightmare or give in to panic and descend to madness.
Images
Who is the player?
An individual experiencing sleep paralysis and other horrors in their home.
What is the goal?
To get to the streetlight outside.