Concept 1 - Monster Research

Top-down 2D monster-catcher where the overworld is alive, letting you observe fun behaviors and interactions as you fill out your research journal!

Core Loop: Study/watch monsters, catch monsters, raise monsters, use those monsters to increase observation abilities, fill out research journal, unlock new areas to find new monsters

Similar Games:

- Pokemon: Similar rough concept and overworld structure, but with a more interactive overworld and a heavier focus on research and studying (somewhat like Pokemon legends: Arceus), with more sophisticated monster behavior and more involved research

- Rain World: "Living world" feeling where you're just one part of a giant ecosystem that's constantly playing itself out (but you're more outside of the "ecosystem" and not really in that much danger, and the game probably isn't constantly simulating the ENTIRE world, just the area you're in)

- Stardew Valley: Similar aesthetics, a large variety of things to do outside of the main quest and "take a break" with (but obviously not in a prototype!)

- Fire Emblem: Similar combat system, just smaller scale and taking place in a subsection of the map (but probably not in the prototype!)

Prototyping Plans:

For the prototype, I want to focus specifically on the ecology and research aspect of the game, since it's the part I'm most unsure of - I initially wanted to test combat as well, but it would have gone over scope and I wasn't confident in the combat system I had planned anyways. My plan is to simulate a small natural area the player can move around with (to start) one species the player can observe and mess with a bit, plus a journal and a sort of "camera" - the journal gives the player a collection of tasks to complete (generally taking photos), and completing those tasks unlocks information in the journal. If possible, I'd like to program a second or even third creature to simulate a mini-ecosystem, and perhaps let the player "catch" the creatures and use them to access new areas, but that may be over scope.

Challenges:

• Very ambitious to have fairly reactive and involved AI of several types in such a short time frame, even if that was the only mechanic
• Need to figure out what the player should be doing to engage in research
• “Sectioning off” a part of the overworld map is going to be weird
• Ideally the idea of “research” and just watching is a key draw, but how to make something engaging to watch/research in such short time?

• Basically, large scope