Game Development Task 1
Melvin Yung Khun Yew | 0357241 | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
DST 61104 | Games Development
Week 1 — Week 5
Task 1: Game Design Document
These are the jump links to each part of this portfolio
Instructions
Dr Mia Bong Mei Fern, my lecturer for the Game Development module for this April 2025 semester, gives us a heads-up on the upcoming tasks and exercises.
Work Process
In this task, I worked together with my two other teammates to establish the foundation of our game project. Task 1 was entirely focused on discussions, brainstorming, refining ideas, and researching visual inspirations to compile into our Game Design Document (GDD), which will serve as the blueprint for developing our game in the later stages.
Initial Brainstorming and Game Concept Selection
We began this task by throwing around several initial game ideas. Each of us contributed different concepts with unique narratives and gameplay hooks. Altogether, we discussed three potential ideas:
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A magical bakery game where players manage orders under time pressure
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A dungeon escape game with random traps and puzzle-solving
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An “unlucky” themed side-scroller about avoiding comedic accidents
After weighing the pros and cons of each idea, we collectively decided to proceed with the “Unlucky Game.” We felt this concept was unique, humorous, and offered interesting gameplay mechanics revolving around the theme of luck and misfortune, which could make our game stand out.
Deep Dive into Game Concept and Mechanics
Once our direction was set, we went deeper into fleshing out the chosen idea. In our discussions, we defined the following key elements for our game:
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Game Goal: The player’s objective is to safely reach the end of each level without their “luck meter” depleting.
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Core Mechanic: The player character has a luck meter tied to gameplay. The player must avoid various comedic “bad luck” events (e.g. slipping on banana peels, stepping on dog poop, getting hit by falling objects) which reduce the luck meter.
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Level Design: We brainstormed ideas for different environments where these comedic hazards would occur, considering how the layout and obstacles could create interesting platforming challenges.
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Game Inspirations: We researched games with similar vibes and comedic styles, such as Dumb Ways to Die, for humorous elements.
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Visual References: We gathered visual references for character designs, environment styles, and UI layouts to ensure consistency in the art direction for future tasks.
Game Elements and Asset Planning
During this phase, we also started planning the essential game elements and assets we would need for development:
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Main Character Design: We discussed the personality and appearance of our protagonist, whom we’ve tentatively named “Luky,” emphasizing comedic expressions and clumsy animations to fit the unlucky theme.
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Enemies and Obstacles: We listed possible enemies and obstacles that reflect bad luck or misfortune, like aggressive animals, slippery surfaces, and random objects falling from the sky.
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User Interface (UI) Layouts: We sketched rough layouts for the HUD and menus to ensure they would complement the comedic tone of the game while staying clear and functional.
Throughout this process, we constantly cross-checked our ideas with one another, ensuring that everyone’s vision was aligned and the game concept remained coherent.
User Game Flow
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| Game flow of Unlucky Day |
Submission
Presentation Slide: Canva
My reflections
Task 1 was crucial in laying the groundwork for our entire project. While it was purely discussion-based, it required extensive communication, open-mindedness, and creativity from all of us. I felt satisfied that we managed to settle on a strong, unique concept that everyone was excited about.
This stage also gave me a clearer understanding of how detailed a Game Design Document needs to be—not just a collection of ideas, but a structured plan that will guide all our future development work. It’s definitely an experience I’ll carry forward into the next tasks.
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