Gameplay Mechanics

From Project Shrink

The Primary Mechanics

Shrink will be based around a special ability to shrink and grow the characters avatar and other entities in the virtual world. Alongside the ability to shrink and grow, the player must navigate through a labyrinthine world, solving puzzles and platforming.

The Secondary Mechanics

After using unique talents to traverse levels, the player will discover that there is much more required to play. The player will have to use items strewn across the world in order to further advance through the levels. Items will also be used to help sneak past, distract, or eliminate enemy characters. There will be a simple combat system in which several items can be used as weapons to fight. (Note that while most guards can carry guns, the player will not be able to use them. This is to discourage players from turning SHRINK into an easy first person shooter, and bypassing the challenging puzzle elements.)

• The ability to shrink and grow will be on a cool-down timer to avoid overuse. The recharge time for this timer will decrease over the course of the game as the main character hones his ability.
• The player will be able to shrink enemy NPCs as well as himself. However, to shrink an enemy, first, the ability cannot be on cool-down, secondly, he can only shrink and grow enemies when he is in his large form.
• When you are shrunk, you cannot shrink or grow enemies.
• In accordance with the above mechanics, there will be TWO states each entity in the game will have (shrunken or grown). This way, you can't simply do something like shrink an opponent down till he disappears entirely.
• When fully grown, there will be certain surfaces the player will not be able to stand on, that as a shrunken man he would (like a desk, or bookshelf).
• The player will be able to traverse the level walking or running right and left, and will be able to jump, but will be subject to the laws of gravity.
• When navigating through the levels, the player will have to combine running and jumping to navigate. Most levels will have no direct path, and the player will have to platform or climb on objects to complete the level.
• The player will advance to the next level when he reaches a designated exit for the current level. These exits may be physically accessible but not active (locked). The player must then solve several puzzles in order to make the door active (find key, unlock)
• Items which are picked up must be placed in the inventory or discarded.
• The inventory is limited to 3 items. In most levels there will be more than 3 items, and if / when you want to pick up a 4th, your current item will be cycled out.
• Some items cannot be picked up depending on your size (a three inch tall man CAN NOT pick up a three foot long crowbar).
• You may only pick up items (shrunken NPCs are not items).
• Items may be used at any time, and will not necessarily be removed from your inventory after use (this depends on what the item is and how it is used).
• The player will have a health bar displayed on the screen. Players can lose health by being shot, bitten, or falling from high platforms. If a player takes damage, it will be displayed on his health bar.
• a players health will recharge over time, if he does not take damage after a certain time.
• If the player's health bar runs out for any reason (being shot, or falling from a high platform), he will die. He must then restart the current level.
• The enemies will also have a certain amount of health. This depends on what type of enemy they are but enemy health does not recharge.