SHORT OVERVIEW:
My idea with this project is to create a point and click adventure game in the vein of old-school games such as the Monkey Island series, King’s Quest, or Myst.
THE SETTING:
It is sometime in the distant future, on an Earth that has been ravaged by ecological disasters due to human activity as well as increasingly devastating wars waged by capitalists trying to maintain their grasp on what was left. But that was in the past. This is a post-post-apocalypse, and the world has begun to recover, though many scars from the past remain.
The game will take place on one of these scars: a large artificial island dump site created by the actions of humans of the past, composed of what is essentially the collective trash of all humanity on Earth (sort of an extremely exaggerated and concentrated version of the real-world Great Pacific Garbage Patch). Mountains of ancient municipal, industrial, and military waste tower above you as you approach, and the ocean water surrounding the island is stained with iridescent oil spills and other toxic/ hazardous waste. Historians have taken to calling the place ‘Site Babel’.
I imagine the island will be divided into various “biomes” that have distinct feels to them, each presenting a different blend of challenges. Parts of the island are perpetually burning and have been for a very long time, sending huge columns of black smoke into the sky which can be seen from far away. One part of the island is overtaken by a massive algal bloom, and another is dominated by the rusted-out remains of old boats and ships. Another part of the island is infested by an incredible number of seagulls who use the site as nesting grounds.
THE STORY:
You will play as a future archeologist who is part of an archeological survey team investigating the island site, but becomes separated from the research base on the other side of the island because of a big storm. Her goal is to make it across the island back to the base. Along the way she will be required to traverse environmental obstacles through puzzle-solving and using helpful junk items found on the island.
SYSTEMS AND GAMEPLAY:
Gonna add to this section once I figure more of it out.
VISUALS:
I think an interesting way to portray the island could be through a combination of manipulated photographic images as well as original painted or pixel’d sprites. Below is a photo mashup I put together in PS to start to figure out the visual identity of the place.
And here is a small moodboard I had made beforehand.
Sorry for the late post! I’ll be adding more pictures and will start adding some concept art as I make more progress.