thesising - drafting a game design document
it's nearing the middle of winter quarter 2021. i mean it's almost the end of week 3. i guess that isn't too late into the quarter. i haven't done tons of work on my thesis. that's probably perfectly fine – next year is when a lot gets done. but i would like to start earlier. so tonight, i sat down and drafted the very first version of my thesis project's game design document. i don't know how useful this will be for a solo project, but it gives me a structured document where i can hash out the details of the game (and document it, save it, and upload it somewhere).
which is what i'm doing now.
so what is my idea? good question. i'm planning on making a game that is both visually and structurally Gothic and queer. i'm still fleshing out some design pillars in order to make sure those goals are at the forefront of my process. right now, i'm considering making a narrative game – probably a visual novel – where players explore a small university (yes, i am cashing in on the dark academia aesthetic. it's gay. and it can be Gothic), meet students and professors, and eventually get turned into a monster (of their choice, i think). there will be some "minigames", mostly involving some apps that i am designing like my Blood Tracker app and my Moon Cycle app.
the game design document i've drafted up tonight is merely the foundation for my documentation, and i will include updated pdfs in future posts.
vampire blood tracker app mockup
werewolf moon cycle app mockup