Game Design Document Outline

A game design document is the blueprint from which a game is to be built. As such, every single
detail necessary to build the game should be addressed. The larger the team and the longer the
design and development cycle, the more critical is the need. For your purpose, the intent is to
capture as much as possible of your design. I want you to think bigbigger than what you are
able to develop. I also want you to be clear about what the software delivers and what the design
entails. My recommendation is that you define the ultimate game and then clarify what it is that
you have developed. If you are finding it too difficult to do that, you may produce too documents.
1. Title Page
1.1. Game Name Perhaps also add a subtitle or high concept sentence.
Meade SQUAD
2. Game Overview
2.1. Game Concept
The game takes place on present day Earth in New York. You play as four different
characters which are a part of a not-so-secret worldwide organization named "The
SQUADER Imitative." The SI is an organization which houses people aged 17-21 in
numerous locations across the world. Anybody can become a SQUADER, but it is looked
down upon as there are already many of them. Each member receives a unique element
based power, over which they have control. They also gain the knowledge to every piece
of information in the world and their appearance changes to make them all scientifically
beautiful. They all start out average, but the longer they stay a SQUADER the more skills
they gain. Their powers mostly do not work outside the HQ and official missions. When
provoked or if their life is in danger they temporarily turn on. Not a single other person on
the planet has the exact same power as anyone else. Even though everyone seems
unique in this society, it is hard to stand out unless you defeated anybody important. The
four main SQUADERS which have formed an official partnership, named Meade SQUAD.
Have not yet been dispatched on any important missions, getting fed up that soon they
will have to leave the SQUADERS after they run 21, they decide they should illegally
dispatch themselves on a mission. After doing so and Jorge hacking into the dispatch card
so that they cannot be traced nor their mission cancelled, they go in search of one of the
most powerful and undefeatable villains at the current moment, Von Blute. Being tracked
down by The SI and hunted by Von Blute's minions they now have to prove that they are
better, faster and most of all unique.
2.2. Genre
Action/Adventure
2.3. Target Audience
Males and Females aged 14-30
2.4. Game Flow Summary How does the player move through the game. Both
through framing interface and the game itself.
The player moves on foot throughout the environment and levels. Bigger scene changes
are done in cutscenes either in a time lapse or using their powers, and even vehicles such
as helicopters, boats, cars and jet skis. Each gameplay section is a separate level, and
location most of them having you sneak, run and gun, or simply move through the

environment to reach your destination. There will be parts of the game when you need to
solve puzzles to continue or find creative ways to pass through as not to expose yourself
or damage important items. At the end of every few levels there will be a boss, which will
always introduce you to a new tactic and way of playing the game. Throughout the levels
you will unlock new abilities and find new gadgets to use and backtrack to other levels
and take paths to your final destination.
2.5. Look and Feel What is the basic look and feel of the game? What is the visual
style?
The game tries its best to show gritty realistic graphics and real life buildings, forests, and
humans. Everything looks big and intimidating, the city portions are huge and busy with
people and cars and they are all buzzing around with lights, signs, and charm. People
yelling, cars driving around, merchants yelling, music blasting, people smoking in alleys,
the cracked sidewalk is everywhere, trees are planted along the walking paths and
subways run above and below. The forest and other wildlife sections are huge, open
diverse and detailed. Flowers of all colors are there, the whole world breathes and sways
with the air of November. A beautiful autumn is everywhere, leaves and trees are
scattered all around both naked and full of leaves. The evergreen trees are huge and full,
squirrels, deer and birds run around The sky is mostly grey with beautiful clouds and still a
big brightness to it. There are many rivers, ponds and small streams also full of life.
Reflecting everything around them. Moss grows on trees and weeds are in the ground.
Grass is here and there in small patches, yet mostly only the dirt and rocks are visible.
There are many bushes, usually just leaves but also a lot of ones with berries and other
fruit. Being ambushed here is easy. Office buildings are on the other hand quiet, hushes,
people whisper all around. People speed walk everywhere in pairs, but mostly alone.
Everyone is wearing blue or grey suits. They all carry black suitcases or over the shoulder
bags and have short, styled haircuts. The red and blue rugs lay out the hallways, but the
open oval spaces connecting everywhere else have a hard grey marble and reflect all the
soft lights and the huge chandelier above also giving off soft light. There are a few big
windows on one of the walls, slightly tinted giving the place natural lightning. In the middle
is a great fountain, with several businesspeople sting around eating lunch, or pacing near
it angrily talking on the phone. All the doors look exactly the same, brown and smooth,
with long silver door handles. The ceilings are extremely tall and the walls are a light grey,
with a rough, slightly uneven texture. Elevators softly ding all around, with people waiting
to get on and bunches of them getting off. Everything is buzzing in these buildings, but
everything is hushed as if behind a filter. Houses are usually dark, and styled old, with
dark walls, wooden floors and a rustic feel to them. Wooden, dark furniture is all around,
and it looks tidy but unlived in. The houses creak and groan when you move around them,
electricity is on in some rooms, but most of it is dark only illuminated by natural light.
Apartments on the other hand, are open and bright. Look very modern. Huge windows
taking up most of the walls let a lot of natural light in. Things are scattered all around, and
everything is either white, black, red or blue. A few things look ransacked through, but
they all look very loft like and expensive. The floors are clean with light wood panels
covering it. The walls are painted in pastel colors and clothes, magazines and remotes
are scattered around the uncomfortable looking high end sofa and glass tables. Electronic
devices are everywhere, huge TVs, stereo systems and gaming systems. Some rooms
are locked. The doors matching the overall color of each apartment. Tiny rugs are all

around, near the bed, near the coffee table, in the ketches and in the bathrooms. Natural
light is everywhere and the ceiling lights are usually spotlights. Soft curtains are covering
some of the windows, but the light shines bright through them and still lights everything
up. It all looks expensive and fancy. The caves and tunnels are almost all pitch black, only
illuminated with Charlotte's fire or the bright electric crackling of Gary, which sends sparks
flying everywhere, bouncing off the rock floors and walls. The caves and tunnels are
mostly empty, with only pebbles and rocks next to some walls. They are all usually pretty
tight and claustrophobic. Sometimes you come across industrial, futuristic, hospital
looking white doors, most of the door is glass. The doors are automatic and slide open
with the right code inputted on the touch screen windows of the doors which are tinted
white, obscuring your vision inside a lot. There are no places where light leaks in. In some
of the caves and tunnels there are lights which you can turn on which light up the cave in
white lights that are small round and hidden in the ceilings which unlike the company
ceilings are close to you and almost touch the top of your characters head. Inside the
rooms within some of the caves and tunnels are classic white laboratories everything
looking clean and sterile while some are slightly dirty, the dirt seen easily on all the white
walls, tables, equipment, furniture and lab coats. These rooms are also illuminated by the
white lights seen in some of the caves, but these lights are a lot brighter and almost
blinding. When you open the door the light leaks into the tunnel illuminating a good portion
of it. You can't see the doors, since the lights turn on only when you try to input a code on
the screen. The floors in the caves are rough, uneven and scratchy, with some holes in
the walls and floors as well as many indents both big and small.
3. Gameplay and Mechanics
3.1. Gameplay
3.1.1. Game Progression
3.1.2. Mission/challenge Structure
3.1.3. Puzzle Structure
3.1.4. Objectives What are the objectives of the game?
3.1.5. Play Flow How does the game flow for the game player
3.2. Mechanics What are the rules to the game, both implicit and explicit. This is the model
of the universe that the game works under. Think of it as a simulation of a world, how do
all the pieces interact? This actually can be a very large section.
3.2.1. Physics How does the physical universe work?
3.2.2. Movement in the game
3.2.3. Objects how to pick them up and move them
3.2.4. Actions, including whatever switches and buttons are used, interacting with
objects, and what means of communication are used
3.2.5. Combat If there is combat or even conflict, how is this specifically modeled?
3.2.6. Economy What is the economy of the game? How does it work?
3.2.7. Screen Flow -- A graphical description of how each screen is related to every other
and a description of the purpose of each screen.
3.3. Game Options What are the options and how do they affect game play and mechanics?
3.4. Replaying and Saving
3.5. Cheats and Easter Eggs
4. Story, Setting and Character

5.

6.

7.

8.

4.1. Story and Narrative Includes back story, plot elements, game progression, and cut
scenes. Cut scenes descriptions include the actors, the setting, and the storyboard or
script.
4.2. Game World
4.2.1. General look and feel of world
4.2.2. Areas, including the general description and physical characteristics as well as
how it relates to the rest of the world (what levels use it, how it connects to other
areas)
4.3. Characters. Each character should include the back story, personality, appearance,
animations, abilities, relevance to the story and relationship to other characters
Levels
5.1. Levels. Each level should include a synopsis, the required introductory material (and how
it is provided), the objectives, and the details of what happens in the level. Depending on
the game, this may include the physical description of the map, the critical path that the
player needs to take, and what encounters are important or incidental.
5.2. Training Level
Interface
6.1. Visual System. If you have a HUD, what is on it? What menus are you displaying? What
is the camera model?
6.2. Control System How does the game player control the game? What are the specific
commands?
6.3. Audio, music, sound effects
6.4. Help System
Artificial Intelligence
7.1. Opponent and Enemy AI The active opponent that plays against the game player and
therefore requires strategic decision making
7.2. Non-combat and Friendly Characters
The only friendly characters which you will encounter are your other 3 fellow SQUADERS,
maybe some characters locked away in cells, or a one level help. The other non-combat
characters will be all the animals in the wildlife areas, and the citizens and most of the
businesspeople in the companies.
7.3. Support AI -- Player and Collision Detection, Pathfinding
Technical
8.1. Target Hardware
-Personal Computers
-PS4
-Xbox One
-PS Vita
8.2. Development hardware and software, including Game Engine
Machine name: KRYSTIAN-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600)
(7600.win7_gdr.130318-1532)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/10/12 17:37:19 Ver: 04.06.05
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3240 CPU @ 3.40GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.4GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM

Available OS Memory: 8086MB RAM

Page File: 2065MB used, 14104MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 460 SE
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Display Memory: 4049 MB
Dedicated Memory: 977 MB
Shared Memory: 3071 MB
Current Mode: 1176 x 664 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: SHARP HDMI
Monitor Id: SHP0FBE
Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(i) (60.053Hz)
Output Type: HDMI
Unreal Development Kit
Photoshop CS6
Maya 2014
Mixamo Fuse
8.3. Network requirements
None, unless you want to download the game. There might be DLC levels, which would
take place in between the game story line, as well as levels with new characters taking
place back at The SI HQ. Another plan is alternative ending levels, which show how the
events could have played out.
9. Game Art Key assets, how they are being developed. Intended style.
Level DesignMusicCharacter DesignVoice ActingMap LayoutGame MechanicsLevel AssetsTexturesSound FX-