Game Design - abhinavk0714/csce552-3d-game GitHub Wiki

Overview

AroQuest: Fragments of the Sky is a puzzle platformer featuring the return of our favorite frolicking frog, Aro! Help guide it along a new path that turns the river's familiar environment on its head.
This time, instead of the water current, you'll be guiding gravity to traverse see-saw-like platforms, mazes, and fling Aro around. Be sure to get a good handle on your momentum.

The clearest parallel to this game is Super Monkey Ball in how the player is given control of not Aro itself, but the platforms supporting it. Players can tilt them back and forth, and gravity will be what actually moves the character.
You'll have to navigate Marble Madness-style platforms and launch the frog between them, potentially even scaling upwards.
Be on the lookout for references to Pinball, Pachinko, and similar arcade-style games.

Overall Game Concepts

  • Formal Elements:

    • Players: Single Player
    • Objectives: Reach the end of level and unlock the next stage by pressing a button at the end of levels array of platforms.
    • Rules: Aro will do its best to remain stabilized. The player must help them only via interaction with platforms themselves. If the frog falls or the time limit is met, that section of the level must be restarted.
    • Resources: The player character is given an orb to stand upon and its movement will be smoothly guided by the slope of the platform its placed upon.
    • Conflict: Players must fight against gravity while flinging the character across precarious gaps and exploring mazes.
    • Boundaries: Each level will be organized rather linearly and have barriers separating each section of a level. Outer edges will not have any barrier but should the player explore this area they would fall to a death barrier.
    • Outcome: Eventually, the player shall reach the end of the final level and unlock all areas of the sky city, allowing clean water to flow back to the surface once again.

  • Dramatic Elements:

    • Challenge: The player shall navigate a series of sky platforms and maze-like obstacles in an effort to explore the sky city and determine the truth of frog homeland's plight.
    • Premise: Aro the frog sees the continuation of its journey by exploring a series of mysterious sky islands in pursuit of the truth behind the river's pollution.
    • Character: Aro: the River's Guardian
    • Story: Following Aro's adventure downstream in search of a cause behind the pollution in the river, no culprit was found. Unwavering in its desire to see the currents cleansed, Aro turned sights towards the next logical place, tracing the water back across its cycle to the ultimate origin: the clouds.
    • Theme: In following the path life has preset for us, we can often lose sight of the true problem at hand. Sometimes you just need to zoom out and see your challenges from a different perspective.

Game Genre and Related Games

  • Genre: 3D Puzzle Platformer

  • Inspirations / Related Games:

  • Super Monkey Ball – Both games rely on controlling the environment rather than the character itself, emphasizing balance, physics, and momentum.
  • Marble Madness – Inspired by its tilt-based movement, isometric view, and obstacle-based puzzle design.
  • Pinball / Pachinko – Certain mechanics and level designs mimic their momentum-based gameplay.

Gameplay Features and Mechanics

  • Interactions & Rules:
    • Player Interactions:
      • The player uses the arrow keys to tilt the platform along two axes (pitch and roll).
      • Aro will move automatically in response to gravity as the platform tilts.
      • The player cannot directly move Aro — only control the environment.
    • Limitations:
      • Movement stops when the path is blocked by a wall or barrier.
      • Some platforms restrict tilt to one axis (Uniaxial) or are static.
      • Certain levels may limit rotation angle or control freedom.
      • The game camera maintains an isometric perspective, panning to follow the action.
  • Objectives, Conflict, and Outcome:
    • Winning Condition:
      • Reach and press the Goal Button at the end of the level.
      • Some levels may require collecting a minimum number of coins to activate the Goal Button.
    • Losing Condition:
      • Running out of time.
      • Falling off a platform into a death barrier.
  • Menus and Interfaces:
  • Main Menu:
    • Options include Play, Level Select, Options, and Quit.
  • HUD:
    • Displays timer, number of collected coins, and current level.
  • Pause Menu:
    • Accessible during gameplay; includes Resume, Restart, Settings, and Quit to Main Menu.