Game Design Document - Driftwork-Studios/Postmortem GitHub Wiki
Game Analysis
High Concept Statement
POST MORTEM is a tense, indie survival horror set in the ruins of post-outbreak Colorado, where players scavenge through urban labyrinths, decaying buildings, and hushed forests in search of safety from the mysterious mutagen infection that has ravaged the world. With unforgiving inventory limits, realistic gunplay, and a heavy focus on strategy, every twist and turn could mean life, death, or a fate far worse.
Genre
Survival horror
Platforms
PC
Target Audience
This game is for a mature audience that enjoys survival horror, open worlds, and extraction shooters. Target demographics that like games like DayZ, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, Escape from Tarkov, the Long Dark, and GTFO. Older Teenagers and Adults.
Storyline & Characters
In the world of POSTMORTEM it is unknown to the player the origins of the outbreak, only that their goal is to survive and progress to more zombie-dense locations for more and better resources. The zombies that roam the world of POSTMORTEM are akin to zombies like in the walking dead- they walk and roam the quiet streets and forests of Colorado (the setting of the game)- but their terrifying behavior to congregate and attack you in a slow, unyielding mob is unparalleled. Here are the aspects of the separate POSTMORTEM’s zombies from the usual trope:
Trypophobia Body Horror
Signs of infection are indicated by tens of hundreds of holes that line the skin muscle and even bone of the victims. The progress of the infection can be qualitatively tracked by simply inspecting the arms and legs of the victims (because of the location of the holes), i.e. the closer you are to being infected, the closer the line of holes is to the brain or heart. It travels along the vascular system, veins and arteries as long that the victim is infected physically.
Mutation
The infection is not a virus, bacteria, parasite, or fungus, but a mysterious mutagen that causes the holes to form. It can also cause rare forms of zombies to spawn in different environments or circumstances.
Origin
Though this is still being workshopped, the working origin story of the mutagen is non-Euclidean in nature and originates from the “future” implying it was brought into the past by a time traveler which would give ample reasoning for the unique properties of the zombies.
Horde Fog
When enough zombies congregate together and move in packs, they produce noxious fumes emanating from their “holes”. This forms a colored fog that travels with them as they wander the world.
Exposure: Bites are (NOT) the end.
Bites can absolutely be lethal, but so can exposure to tainted water, bodily fluids, and fumes of the zombies be as well. Becoming infected can come from a multitude of ways but should be treated as more of a gradual, cumulative, property like radiation, once you become “irradiated” enough: it’s over.
Animals
Animals can become infected as well. Plants cannot.
Madness and Consciousness
Victims begin to go mad before they turn and retain a slim bit of their consciousness after they turn, but they are compelled by the hunger from the mutagen to spread and consume regardless of any past bonds made by the victim.
Story
The story of the world is told through the world and items as this is POST outbreak, when basic infrastructure and pillars of society have collapsed.
You play as an adult non-descript survivor. They can craft, reload weapons, manage inventories, shoot, and do things that otherwise any other survivor can do. Their look should be generally disheveled and build should be lean.
Gameplay Mechanics
Overview
The game is a survival horror game. Join up to 3 friends, explore the world, sneak around zombies and hordes, loot abandon buildings and dead bodies, complete objectives to upgrade homebase, shoot guns, craft impromptu/crude weapons, complete “mini-games” to use weapons and medicine, and discover the story of POSTMORTEM
Core Mechanics
(Tactical/Realistic) First person shooter
First person camera, holster weapon, camera bob, strafing, sprinting, walking, crouch, lean left/right, equip and use, pull slide/bolt back (Pistols, Rifles), pump gun (Shotguns, lever action weapons), wind up (crossbow, bow), pull hammer back (Revolvers), reload, throw items, use melee weapons, slashing, pierce, bludgeon, shove, stomp, NO FIST FIGHTING
Inventory Management and Clothing*
Grid system, larger more nuanced CLOTHING and BAGS = more SPACE (squares). ITEMS are ROTATABLE (Think Resident Evil 4 or Unturned). Heavy ITEMS and CLOTHING affect players’ WEIGHT which affects walking and running SPEED (Inverse variables). For example, carrying 5 rifles should make the player incredibly slow, but if players have an inventory full of spam, then the speed is largely unaffected (Balancing purposes). Different types of clothing affect AUDIO DECIBELS, i.e. cargo “tech-ware” and steel toe-ed boots are LOUD. The trade off being more pockets = more space but more likely to draw attention to oneself. LEATHER clothing acts as ARMOR (Bite resistant and non-porous to fluids like blood), but leather is naturally more HEAVY and LOUDER. BACKPACKS are the primary form of inventory and come in various types. They can also be placed/thrown to the ground to act as caches for the player and can be retrieved later even if the location is unloaded (Positions are saved). Each bag takes a different SHAPE in the inventory made up of these squares
Small (1lb – 5lb if Empty) - Leather bag/sling bag/fanny pack = smallest space, light weight, quiet. Best option for solo and quick expeditions
Medium (6lb – 10lb Empty) - Duffle bags, school bags = Great compromise of space, speed, and loudness. One-size-fit-all for expeditions
Large (10lb+ Empty) – Alice Packs, Hikers Bag, Camping backpack = large amount of space, but if filled to the brim is surely a death sentence if corned or in enclosed spaces. Good for “hunkering” down, horde fights, and scavenging with teammates
Players can and are encouraged to reload and have weapons ready for emergency scenarios
Player Skills / Abilities
Zombie Behavior
Hordes
Hordes are dynamic and can disperse over time.
Inspiration: Days Gone
Items
Multiplayer
Communication
Local Voice Chat
Control Scheme
Game Art Direction
Stylistic Choices
Art Limitations
Inspirations
- Firewatch
- The Long Dark
Environmental & Miscellaneous
Specific Locations
Interiors
Wild Animals
Duck/Geese, Vultures, Bats, Bear, Deer, Rabbits, Mountain Lions