Pitch Deck | Game Design Document
Null is a third person shooter action roguelite with a combination of ranged and melee combat. The player is gifted powers and a special attack at the start of every run from a new pantheon of gods, that is made up of gods from different mythologies. The powers and rewards in a run are selected through Fortuna’s slot machine. The player can invest currency gained on a run to make the main character Null permanently stronger. Null’s appearance changes through different glowing tattoos based on the god’s power the player is using. The hub area in Purgatorio grows and changes as Null gets stronger throughout the game.
Overview
3rd Person Shooter over the shoulder camera view and controls.
Every weapon at the player’s disposal has a ranged and melee option.
Dash to get out of harm's way. Jump and vault over ledges to get a better angle.
Use powers along with a special attack.
Powers are from Gods from a pantheon of different mythologies.
The player has a health bar that can be increased or healed through a reward obtained in a run.
A slot machine grants a random power at the beginning of a run and rewards during a run.
A currency gained from the slot machine is used to make Null permanently stronger after a run.
Another currency gained from the slot machine is used to upgrade and unlock weapons & weapon variants after a run.
The player can communicate with a wide range of characters in the hub world outside of a run.
Enemies are randomized on every run.
Semi-procedural areas (using pre-fabs).
Key Pillars
3rd Person Shooter with versatile combat
Every weapon has a ranged and melee option.
The player has an assortment of weapons to unlock, upgrade, and start a run with.
The levels are expansive with slight platforming elements in the form of height variability, and they have environmental hazards.
Many different enemies, bosses, and variations of archetypal enemies.
Roguelite mechanics
The gameplay is hard and in a loop.
A death or a successful run starts the player at the beginning but with currency (gained on a run) to invest in making the player character stronger or unlock/upgrade weapons.
Semi-procedural areas (using pre-fabs), with enemy randomization.
Powers gifted by Gods from many mythologies
The game features its own pantheon of Gods, made up of Gods from many different mythologies.
The God selected through the slot machine at the beginning of a run grants the player a power and a special attack.
Types of powers include buffs, debuffs, DoT, AoE, and knockback.
The special attacks play off of the powers.
Null’s glowing tattoos change color and design based on the gifted God power.
Fortuna’s Slot Machine
Powers at the start of a run and rewards in a run are all gained through the slot machine.
The slot machine crashes down from the sky at the opening of a run and when an area or boss stage is completed.
Gives the illusion of choice in the randomness, while also having the addicting sounds and visuals of a slot machine.
