Game Design & Requirements Document

Moneytopia – The Big Dream

SAMPLE GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT

Digitec
6000 Metrowest Blvd.
Suite 200
Orlando, Florida 32835
(407) 299-1800
 Table of Contents

GAME PHILOSOPHY ________________________________________________________________ 3 

WHY CREATE THIS GAME? ____________________________________________________________ 3 
LEARN IT BY PLAYING IT_______________________________________________________________ 3 
WHY THEY WILL PLAY IT ______________________________________________________________ 3 
HOW THEY WILL WIN _________________________________________________________________ 3 
IT HAPPENS ________________________________________________________________________ 3 
GAME DESIGN______________________________________________________________________ 3 
What is the game? _______________________________________________________________ 3 
Where does the game take place? _________________________________________________ 4 
What do you control? _____________________________________________________________ 4 
What’s different about this game? __________________________________________________ 4 
FEATURE SET ______________________________________________________________________ 5 
GENERAL FEATURES _________________________________________________________________ 5 
GAMEPLAY _________________________________________________________________________ 5 
THE GAME WORLD _________________________________________________________________ 5 
OVERVIEW _________________________________________________________________________ 5 
DREAM MACHINE____________________________________________________________________ 5 
THE PHYSICAL WORLD _______________________________________________________________ 5 
Overview _______________________________________________________________________ 5 
Movement ______________________________________________________________________ 6 
Objects _________________________________________________________________________ 6 
Time ___________________________________________________________________________ 6 
RENDERING SYSTEM _________________________________________________________________ 6 
Overview _______________________________________________________________________ 6 
3D Rendering ___________________________________________________________________ 7 
CAMERA ___________________________________________________________________________ 7 
Overview _______________________________________________________________________ 7 
GAME ENGINE ______________________________________________________________________ 7 
Overview _______________________________________________________________________ 7 
GAME CHARACTERS _______________________________________________________________ 8 
OVERVIEW _________________________________________________________________________ 8 
USER INTERFACE __________________________________________________________________ 8 
OVERVIEW _________________________________________________________________________ 8 
PLAYER STATUS ____________________________________________________________________ 8 
RESOURCES _______________________________________________________________________ 8 
MUSICAL SCORES AND SOUND EFFECTS _________________________________________________ 9 
HOURS OF GAMEPLAY________________________________________________________________ 9 
VICTORY CONDITIONS ________________________________________________________________ 9 

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Game Philosophy
Why create this game?
[This section should present the business case for the serious game. This may include an
overview of the current situation and why you believe this game will succeed.]

Learn it by playing it
[This section should briefly describe the creative approach behind the game. This description
should capture the reviewer’s imagination and clearly explain how the game design aligns with
the overall learning objectives. You might describe an example use case for how and when the
player would play the game, then connect with peers for a blended discussion, etc.]

Why they will play it

[This section would be a great place to use research to show how this learning approach will
appeal to the target demographic. You may also want to include a description of the promotional
or marketing plan and the incentives that will encourage or require the players to play.]

How they will win

[The key to a successful serious game is the win/lose factor. Players need to have the ability to
lose, so they can learn and replay the game. This section should clearly identify how the player
will win. This is usually overlooked. To avoid another boring elearning “game,” think through a
true strategy the player will need to employ in order to win. This is the power of game and will
make the learning experience memorable.]

It happens
[To make a game engaging, focus on the player’s action. Don’t fall victim of creating an elaborate
story for the game. Story is a factory, but typically plays a less prominent role in a good game.
Establish the story early, but keep in mind what the player will do throughout the game. And
since this is a serious game, you need to make sure that the action aligns with the performance
objectives of the course. Here’s where the creative part really comes in. In this section, focus on
game play. What happens in the game and how will the player need to respond?]

Game Design
What is the game?

This role-play/strategy game enables players to choose an avatar, or character, to play in the
game. These characters reflect a broad cross-section of the 18-24 demographic.

After players select an avatar, they enter the Dream Machine. Here, similar to a vending machine,
they choose their lifestyle and dreams, ranging from wardrobe, to cars, to toys, to second homes
and retirement plans. Each item has its price displayed, so that players can review their budget
and the cost before choosing.

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[In this section, describe the entire game play. The more information you can provide, the better.
Typically, when you feel vague language coming on, that’s a sign that the game play is not well
worked out. The likelihood is that this document will reveal problems. This is great. Better to find
out sooner than later. If something doesn’t feel right here, it’s definitely not going to feel right in
the game.]

Where does the game take place?

[Here, describe where the action takes place. A sense a place is a great way to engage the
player. To simplify the game, consider identifying a set number of locations the player will visit
and what they’ll find. This will not only control your production costs, but clarify game play for the
player.]

What do you control?

[Here, explain what the player controls in the game]

What’s different about this game?

[This section is critical to a commercial game developer, but can be just as important to “selling”
your serious game. Your differentiator here could be how the game differs from the traditional
learning environment.]

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Feature Set
General Features
16 avatar selections
Editable finance dashboard and home environment
3D character graphics with 2D world scenes
32-bit color
Music and sound effects
Embedded tools

[This is a sample listing of the overall features]

Gameplay
Appendix A depicts flow charts that show the typical gameplay, from a player’s perspective.
On start up, the player chooses to start a new game or load a game….

[This section provides the details on game play, from start up through to the win/lose conclusion.
It’s advisable to create a flow chart to help visually depict how the player will navigate through the
game. The flow will also help you communicate to the developers where the interactivity needs to
be and what elements will need to be variables, residing in a database, for example.]

The Game World

Overview
[Describe a more descriptive view of the game world, perhaps including sketches or artist’s
renderings. The key here is to create a sense of place, and help your team visualize the game
environment.]

Dream Machine
[You may want to describe the game world in terms of the specific locations, so that you can
further describe these scenes, in terms of what the player will do in each of these locations. This
will also help the developers scope out the functionality.]

The Physical World

Overview

The world outside the immediate environments will progress with time. As such, outside the home
environment, players will see weather changes and the seasons change as time passes.

The game will also provide a map to enable players to visit other locations in the game
environment. These will include:
• High school
• Dream Machine
• Generic financial institution

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 • Car dealership
• Golf course
• Bowling Alley
• Diner/Coffee shop
• Restaurant
• Fast food
• Pawn shop

[This section describes what (if any) external locations make up the world. Unlike the game world,
these tertiary scenes might provide incidental locations for the player to visit to find clues, etc.]

Movement

Movement through the world will be provided by the user interface. Players can physically return
to the Dream Machine or choose from the map to visit the other locations, described above.

[Here, you should describe how the player will move within the game environment. Will this be a
side-scrolling game? Will the player use a keyboard, mouse, controller? Keep the players’
environment in mind.]

Objects

To create a sense of play, the home environment will also provide access to:

• Phone to allow the player to access a speed dial of their friends. This will split screen the
conversation, through dialogue bubbles.
• Game console with a single “pong” type game to play.

[The Objects inventory is a really good idea. These devices may be critical for game play, so
make sure to include a complete list here, along with what the object will do in the game.]

Time

The default mode is “game-time,” in which the wall calendar indicates the passage of months and
years. During game-time, certain events will automatically occur, based on the character’s age.
For example, if the player begins with a character who is 24, by 34, the character may be married
and/or have children. New characters will not populate the home, but the player will see a game
card that will indicate the life changes. The walls, too, may include picture frames that show the
character’s family situation.

[Here, define the use of time in the game. Do you need accelerated time? Is there competition
involved that would require tracking time in the game? Is there a consequence for not completing
a level in time? Are there bonus points? One thing to consider in a serious game is that the goal
is to teach, so it’s probably not a good idea to penalize a player for learning. If they need to
access a resource to learn about something, then you may want to suspend game time, so they
don’t rush to decisions.]

Rendering System
Overview

The Dream Machine will be produced in Flash, using 3D character composites within a highly
stylized 3-D rendered world.

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3D Rendering

The game will establish a 3-D rendered visual style.

Rather than mixing 2-D and 3-D artwork, Digitec recommends rendering the scenes as 3-D stills.
While the scenes will not be immersive, they will include some overlaid foreground elements that
include motion. This will create the illusion of an immersive environment.

[Here, describe the visual style you intend to follow. 3-D can be very expensive, so determine
your production budget before locking into a game design that you can’t pull off.]

Camera
Overview

Except for the cut scene animations, the camera will be first person, looking through the eyes of
the player.

The cut scenes will use exterior shots to establish the scenes before transitioning to interior
scenes.

[Here, describe the point of view for the player. Is this first-person shooter POV? If so, you may
not need to invest in creating highly customizable avatars, since the player won’t see themselves
in the game.]

Game Engine
Overview

Instead of using a game engine, Digitec will produce the game in Flash. This decision was made
in order to reach the widest possible demographic and computer platform.

The minimum system requirements to play the game consist of the following:
• Pentium III 600 Mhz PC or comparable AMD/Macintosh
• 128 MB of RAM
• Web delivered version requires broadband internet connection (DSL or cable)
• 24x CD-ROM drive (CD-ROM version only)
• Windows XP or higher/ Macintosh OS X
• Sound card and speakers
• Flash 8 Plugin
• IE 6.0 or higher or Netscape 6.0 or higher
• Safari 1.2

[Here, make sure that the game engine or program you choose to create the game can
accomplish your game design. There are great game engines available, but look out for licensing
fees, distribution costs and PC-only installed games. These can lead to more installation issues
and maintenance headaches in the long term.]

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Game Characters
Overview
The key to an engaging game is the characters. If the player can develop a strong association
with a character, the experience will become personal and increase the “stickiness” of the game.

[Here, describe the characters in your game and decide who they are. You may want to write a
brief bio of each character to identify what their specialty is or their power. You can create a lot of
diversity in the game by choosing a wide range of characters.]

User Interface
Overview
The interface will allow access to player status, resources and navigation.

Player Status
The right side tabs will show a “heads up display” reading of the player’s overall status. These
meters will include a display-only view of the player’s overall well-being, including individual
meters that display the player’s:

• Happiness
• Stress
• Health

An additional panel will display the player’s Financial Status. This will be computed by comparing
the player’s percentage of income spent in the various budget categories as compared to the
ideal percentage range for these categories. These meters will include display-only views of the
player’s financial status, including:

• Housing
• Food
• Transportation
• Utilities
• Personal expenses
• Savings and investments
• Clothing
• Health costs
• Credit card debt
• Income

Resources
These resources will be available as links within the Home environment, rather than as buttons.
The tools will be available through the PC, from Doc’s folder or while within the individual “Case
Files” tutorials.

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Dream Machine Launches the player back to the dream machine where they can buy more
stuff or purchase items that were previously added to their “Later” wish list.
Wish List Displays a listing of the items the player indicated that they wanted to “Snag
it Later” during their trips through the Dream Machine. Along with the item,
the list will identify the cost of the item and provide links to individual plan
worksheets where the player can create a savings plan to purchase those
items.
Friends Displays the four friends in the player’s circle. These friends can be accessed
for advice before responding to an event.
Budget Displays the player’s current budget, based on the line items included in
Table 1. The player can change the budget by adding money to certain line
items, as long as they have money available to distribute or re-distribute. The
budget will show the percentage of income allocated to each category and
the ideal ranges.
Tools Displays links to the financial tools identified in the Instructional Design
Strategy, along with descriptions of how to use each one.
Investments Displays the player’s investment portfolio, if they have one. This link also
allows the player to choose one of the investment choices. These will be
simplified investment options that offer aggressive, mixed and conservative
investment portfolios.

Musical Scores and Sound Effects

The music for the game will feature looped ambient music beds for each of the distinct locations.
These will include a techno assembly line musical score for the Dream Machine and music for
each of the Home Environments.

In addition, there will also be environmental sound; for example, when the player attends the high
school reunion, dance music will be playing in the background, along with general crowd chatter.

Finally, the game will feature a sound effects design. These sounds will include clunk sounds for
the assembly line, time travel sound effects, etc.

Players will have the option to mute the sound. Close-captioning will display any narration not
shown on screen.

Hours of Gameplay
The game will take as little as an hour to complete; although, depending on how often the player
goes back in time and tweaks their finances, the game could take more.

Victory Conditions
The player will need to choose a “Big Dream” while in the Dream Machine. This will encourage
the player to think about financial planning and saving.

The player wins the game by surviving the various consequences and achieving their Big Dream.

If the player loses all their money and the means to earn more money (such as losing their car
and having no way to get to work), they lose the game.

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If the player continues through the game and arrives at their 50th high school reunion without
achieving their Big Dream, they lose the game.

At that reunion, the player will see their friends and be able to assess how well they did in the
game, in comparison.

At the end of the reunion, the final score will be tallied, and winner and losers will be identified.

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