So I’ve decided to make a game about performing a simple task under unusual conditions. The task will be to play Tic-Tac-Toe 130 feet underwater while at least slightly under the influence of nitrogen narcosis, which is basically like being drunk underwater. This usually becomes at least slightly noticeable when divers go below 100 feet and the symptoms disappear when the divers ascend.

Here’s a link to my “Your World of Text” World (be careful: if you edit anything, it’ll be saved) where I’ve been working on a brainstorm that kind of shows my process a little bit. I’m starting to think about mechanics that should be simple enough to code but that will transmit the experience effectively. Ideally, I’d like to switch up some of the mechanics while the player is in the process of playing. I’m not sure if I want to have the controls be based on keyboard or on mouse. There are advantages to both: I can make the keyboard controls be flipped and might be able to actually make the controls switch mid-game.

One thing that I’ve definitely decided is that I like games like B.U.T.T.O.N that make the players enforce rules that can’t be enforced by code/programming/the game system itself. To that end, players of my game will have to wear some scuba diving equipment: a mask, a snorkel, a BCD (Buoyancy Control Device – a vest-looking thing), a regulator and octopus, and either a weight-belt or integrated weights.

Some goals this week: to create some prototypes of the “symptom” program effects and the timer and air limitations.