This week’s game box: SmartStorm

42
Precon Slip - assist an individual NPC with a task. the player must observe the NPC’s ways of engaging the game world and assist them during the pursuit of a goal. the NPC loses intelligence over time and they require more and more assistance to move ahead. over time, the player should experience an internalization of the NPC’s intelligence.

41
Possessor - action stealth espionage - play as a supernatural entity capable of possessing human NPCs. game goals include the orchestration of various conditions within a multinational conflict. player must monitor an ongoing game and intervene by way of possessing NPCs.

40
Marx Maker - outfit a group of NPCs with tools. the group wants something but they dont know what - there is no predisclosed goal. the members of the group each have innate abilities - player must distribute tools and monitor results. if the group is equipped properly, they will work towards an emergent goal. player should experience the organic nature of emergent social systems.

39
Vectrolux - arrow shooter. basic shmup where all objects are graphic arrows - a semantically loaded symbol. level completion depends variably on playing by the rules of arrows - vector, math, good, bad, up, down, one way, opposition, convergence, in, out, interlock, mood, light, disposition, aggression, retaliation, pressure, gravity, force, power, space, flow, color, quantity, energy, fluid, path, go/no go, attention, respect, monopoly, evaporation, atomic, law, progress, profit, yield, speed, time, projectile, suture, repair, angle, reflection, rotate, gaze, thermal, air, vacuum, viscosity, thought, fuel…

38
RightStripe - race a vehicle through the streets of an urban environment. steering is controlled by aligning objects in view - view direction is the only means of direct input. align: windows, lamp poles, columns, monuments, hydrants, mailboxes, etc. player should experience speed, near misses, extreme views, and an atypical control system.

37
SkyStrider, SmartStorm - versus weather battle. using meteorology notation, a player and opponent draw weather systems on a map. goals include territory control, environmental control, ground conditions, flight conditions, and opponent decimation. “weather weapons” include rain, hail, snow, lightning, wind, tornadoes, and hurricanes. game should look like a futuristic satellite map, with futuristic meteorology notation. pace should be faster than normal - for fast paced action.

36
Motoswarm - control a pack of high speed motorcycles on crowded streets. on each level, the pack must reach their destination within a time limit. each rider has a unique riding style - the player must choose a path that all bikers can navigate. play should be fast paced and hectic - control should seem at the edge of loss.

This week’s game box: Concentra

35
Gaze Manager - alter crowd behavior by directing gaze vectors. participant gazes can be selected and redirected at will. what the crowd sees effects what they think and how they act. player must acheive goals such as maintaining calm, inciting riots, dividing attention, dispersion, etc. visuals should be colorful and map-like. player should experience crowd behavior as a dynamic diagram.

34
Orbitron - solar system management. you attempt to stabilize a solar system by adjusting the spin of celestial bodies - thereby altering weather, gravitational effects, and orbiting moons. the goal is to create target conditions on certain planets. spin is visualized graphically at each planet, moon trajectories and other orbits are exposed like elliptical puzzles.

33
Statris - predictive gaming. play tetris via statistics - shape frequency, orientation, and position percentages are the primary control system. player may adjust these probabilities at any point during each round. play leverages a familiar mechanic with atypical control - player should have a sense of retreading established skills.

32
Bee Free - beehive management. from a birds eye view, player must direct nectar collection by drawing bee-readable maps. resources are constantly changing - flower health is a constant variable, weather conditions affect travel, etc. core control and gameplay is learning and writing bee language notation. player should feel that they are learning a new language.

31
Scooter Tuner - play as an engine tuner in a small engine repair shop. the only feedback mechanism is engine sound. player must make adjustments and listen carefully to the results. over time player will learn to detect and correct inefficiencies by audio only. visuals are just the engines, which can be rotated in any direction for close audio inspection. each engine has a unique sound envelope which provides audible access to it’s inner condition.

30
Turf Tracer - drive a lawn mower. attempt perfect lines, minimum fuel usage, and perfectly manicured turf. control emphasis is on subtlety of control and pattern efficiency. results are not collected over time and you can mow the same turf over and over again. craft and control internalization are key elements of gameplay. visuals should depict relaxing summertime days.

29
Concentra - play begins with a blank white screen. a biofeedback interface measures player heart rate variability and controls the rendering of successive circles - color and size are effected by mind focus. an adjustable timer periodically records the results of player interaction. over time the game builds a library of player designs. player should feel the correlation between their mental state and color abstraction on screen.

This week’s game box: Neuropainter.

28
Lawless, BountyScribe - draw roads, control the wind, and create weather in the American wild west in order to orchestrate justice. the goal is to get the bounty hunters to the outlaws. player must draw roads across the landscape for both the outlaws and bounty hunters - bringing them together in the right places at the right times. wind and weather can help or hinder the situation. player controls a few basic tools from a bird’s eye view. timing is critical. player should experience the puzzle-like aspects of timed recombinant events.

27
BodyCount - try to prevent suicides in a depressed society. start by directing funding into city public services. funds are limited and must be divvied across law enforcement, mental health clinics, drug rehab programs, education system, tax refunds, public transit, etc. navigation is handled via a clouds-eye view of the city - various filters can be used to visualize city statistical data - population breakdown, public service locations, infrastructure conditions, traffic, pollution, etc. a constant din of voices can be heard during play - people vocalizing their stresses. if player is succeeding, the quantity of voices is reduced; if they are failing, the voices increase. player should feel like they can here the conscience of the city. visuals should be map and data driven.

26
Neuropainter - puzzle game where a suitable brain must be built to solve each puzzle. brain physiology and tissue density directly effect the brain’s ability to solve puzzles. brain brushes are used to paint in tissues and structures. colors and textures correspond to intelligences - logic, pattern, emotion, etc. player should feel that they are nurturing a sentient intelligence. the brain should become more sophisticated over time and should require less intervention as the game progresses.

25
Monochron, Impedance, FightSight - caught in the middle of an alley fight and struck on the head, your vision goes full contrast black and white. you must navigate your way out of the alley, assisting allies and dealing with adversaries on the way. navigating the game space under such conditions requires constant movement and evaluation of the environment - the player must rebuild their mental picture of the alley. sound queues and view are imperative and player should feel like they are at the edge of their visual abilities.

24
Urbanity:FPS, Metropolo, SprayCity - an urban population already exists - you must build them a city to live in. each round starts with an unbuilt landscape - the player “paints” urban elements as if spraying graffiti on a wall. from clouds-eye view, the player sprays down urban elements - buildings, streets, infrastructure, transit. each element immediately springs into existence and the populace either occupies and maintains the area or leaves it unused - depending on the interests of society at large and/or the balance of urban fabric. FPS style controls facilitate precision and rapid decision making. visuals should not only show the city springing to life, but also show the use-status of the newly formed buildings.

23
Populistic, Insect Inversion - invasive species have gained the upper hand. decimate their numbers by carefully introducing predatory creatures. the invaders evolve very rapidly - player must counter mutate their predators. in order to succeed, the invaders must be routinely captured and analyzed for weaknesses - predator upgrades are limited to attributes found in the invaders. game should invoke concepts of biological puzzles and evolutionary mutation. presentation should include maps, microscope views, surgical splicing, and issue grafting.

This week’s game box: The Implosionist.

21
Search and Decoy, Pens and Pistils, Fauxliage - design decoy flowers to attract beneficial insects to a garden. full flower sculpting tools are available as well as tight placement controls for each decoy flower. players can choose any level at any time. each level comprises unique challenges. player must spend time analyzing each garden and local insect population in order to design effective flowers. flower editor should permit easy control of symmetry, coloration, and shape. player should experiment with radical color schemes to take advantage of insect perception. a sense of discovery is important.

20
Motigon - a control scheme where the player controls the motivation of a character by directly controlling posture. motivational states are defined within a 2d shape which is centered on the character - player input affects the position of a cursor within this shape. the closer a cursor is to a given state, the stronger the character’s behavior toward that state. this could be used in fighting games, conversation games, driving games. various sequences between states can be defined in order to diversify and deepen gameplay.

19
Spybird, Avioid, Wings of Deceit - control a robotic spy bird. missions range from intrusion detection to surveillance and photography. the android bird must blend in with real birds in order to avoid detection and complete each mission. bird-like behavior must be maintained at all times under the constraints of a finite power supply and mission objectives. controls permit simultaneous behavior blending and subject targeting, view is 3rd person in a 3d environment.

18
Sectionographer, Divdown, The Implosionist - play as a demolition artist responsible for felling condemned buildings. each building must be analyzed using a depth penetrating camera. only a finite number of explosive charges are available for each job. some jobs require only partial demoition. player controls the special camera and indicates charge placement within this view. visuals incorporate realtime physics and detailed views of urban decay.

17
PlateMaker - work as a line cook in this first person line cooking game. manage all your tools and keep up with the demands in the kitchen. everything you need to do your job is accessible in a single view. control setup: right mouse = right hand, left mouse = left hand. other characters are never seen and audio queues provide feedback on your performance. visuals should be mechanically convincing, but not photoreal.

16
Poetry Platformer - navigate platforms in cadence with poetry. the theme of each level is reinforced by the mood of the poetry. pace is regulated by a back beat and the player is penalized for violating timing. level artwork should be widely varied - perhaps created by individual artists. experience should run a wide range of moods.

15
Number Gum - manage number sets and computations where each number is represented by a unique shape and sound. sculpt mathematical relationships like clay. test your skills with various challenges. over time, players should develop the ability to intuit numeric structures without the cultural baggage of current number symbols. all relationships should be presented simultaneously.

The art box for this week is based on #14. i have switched to a 3 part description format that seems useful:

- theme/goal
- control/gameplay
- presentation/experience.

14
Over Easy, Pro Yolk - fry eggs with an emphasis on craft and control. you choose a pan, control heat, crack the egg, control the spatula, flip the egg, and choose plate and garnish. player controls should enable a high degree of nuance and fine control in every aspect of the game. audiovisuals should be super-real - each egg should make the mouth water. there is no game save, no limit on number of eggs, no outward objective. the game should enable a sense of mastery at a simple craft and should facilitate a state of brainless execution - almost like meditation.

13
Crowdmaster, Bar Pharm - tend bar at a live music venue. the goal is to manage crowd vibe for each song the band plays. the primary control mechanism is chemically spiked drinks. plan ahead to manage positive and negative effects of each drug. primary view is behind the bar, patrons are not explicitly visible but their orders are audible. players should feel anxious about the condition of the crowd and the possibility of “bad trips”, deaths, and overdosing.

12
Emo GoGo, Juxtaposer - navigate a montaged slide show which leads down various audio visual paths. 2d images are presented in diptych form. you choose left or right to advance to the next set of images. a continuous audio track adapts to the “mood” of each image choosen. audio and imagery is pulled from a continuously updated online resource. players can rewind to any point to choose a new path and any section or path previously chosen can be replayed. the emotional possibilities of diptych and juxtaposition allow the player to build a personal emotion path everytime they play. players should feel that they have the freedom to engage or suppress their own emotional state.

11
Florever, Future Florist - join a multiplayer community to create and critique player created virtual flower arrangements. Partner florists in the real world can create and ship real arrangements based on player designs. a variety of commonly available flowers and containers can be chosen in-game. a 3d orbiting camera allows the player to view and edit each arrangement from any angle. built-in messaging, discussion, critique, and mms integration allows submittal of the latest designs to friends, critiques, competitions, and real world florists. players should find value in the creation, community, and critique aspects of the game.

10
CellCrush, GeneBender - design specialized antibodies in time to fight off harmful bacteria. antibodies are designed using a gene editor which allows certain genetic sequences to be expressed or suppressed. protein synthesis takes time, but the gene editor allows access to all phases of development. the gene editor should efficiently expose all relevant aspects of protein formation in a clear way and the player should feel the pressure of the clock as bacteria growth multiplies.

9
Biolume, Cephalopwn, SquidMission - lead a school of squid in the dark depths of the ocean to forage, mate, relocate, and combat/evade danger. the only control mechanism is bioluminescent communication. a primitive message construction system enables the transmission of simple commands such as disperse, huddle, seek light/dark, evasive action, surround prey, etc. commands must dynamically combined on-the-fly. visuals should reinforce the reduced visibility of ocean depths and creature form should only be described by bioluminescent patterns. player should experience a sense of pressure, dazzling bioluminescence, sudden threats, fleeting opportunity, success and failure.

8
Ziggy Francois: Realtime Tailor - design and tailor the attire of a busy young professional. success is measured by how well you address the style of the day. tailor in time for the various appointments and meetings scheduled daily. a 3d orbiting camera view allows quick access to any aspect of attire. the primary character is in focus at all times, while the background is blurred. audio should convey a hectic schedule and noisy environments. you should feel the pressure of first impressions, snobbery, peer judgement, a hectic schedule, comfort, confidence, etc.

Here are the first 7 concepts and one concept box (based on #1).

7
Bubble Babble - each level of this game finds you attempting to persuade an opponent through conversation. your opponent always speaks first and you must reply by rearranging their words. primary control is a speech bubble editor - you remix the contents of each bubble and “reply” to your opponent.

6
Hive Jive - people in a crowd have a range of hearing. messages must be dispersed locationally to achieve desired spread and control…manage the crowd during parties, protests, emergencies…

5
One Racket Tennis - this mechanic can be applied elsewhere. play a game of tennis with a single racket - the racket and the ball must be passed to the other player…

4
Time Fighter - maybe a platformer instead…inititial gamestate is structured as though time is locked in specific dimensions - characters can initially only move in place - they cannot move through space. opening scene - a character is repeating a sequence of actions in one place - almost like a dance. these actions only effect the scene if they are performed at the right time in the right place. primary gameplay is managing the time/place of the main character in order to advance.

3
Clip Fighter - 1 v 1 fighting game. you play in 1 second chunks. each chunk plays in a loop - you edit each chunk in sequence to slowly build the battle. you are allowed a finite number of time chunks - you must defeat your opponent within this allotted time.

2
Trash Talk, Gabby, Deal Maker, Ruthless - A mobile phone game where you run a business. the only interface is audio - you must talk on the phone to play the game. you must call suppliers, manage underlings, hire and fire employees, etc. success is measured by keywords and cadence. a game that makes you sound important in public…

1
Dragg Racer, Ribbon Racer, Track Tracer - a group of cars are racing against each other in a top down view. the cars all drive themselves. your goal is to “fix” the race to make a certain car win. some cars are faster on straights, others are faster in corners. control: you must draw the track as the cars race - all the cars must remain on-screen at all times.

I created this box back in September 2007 - it first saw the light of day at vgboxart.com. The concept came to me after hearing about the PS3/Folding@home partnership. Folding@home is a protein sequencing research system which requires vast amounts of computational power. Prior to PS3 integration, this power came primarily from specially designed PC screensavers which contribute idle CPU cycles to the effort.

Protein formation is not unlike a physical puzzle - these puzzles are being solved (slowly) by mathematical algorithms. The first thing that came to mind when i learned of Folding@home on the PS3 was the obvious marriage of gaming and science - all the Tetris Grand Masters out there should get together to play one of the most complex puzzles known to science! See the box for more.

This is my starting point. Next week will bring the first SevenOne concept.