Devlog 1 - Creative Brief

37 days ago by Komo12

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Team members: Cynthia Chen, Zhaoyi Gu, Komo Hu (Team Lead), Margarita Ilina, Feifan Yang, Skye Tang, Zhi Zhang

Elevator Pitch

In Close the AD, players begin as a student working on a computer with a time limit. Full of misleading ADs, viruses, and messages appear as distractions that can waste time and stop the process, but also give emotion values. To get as much emotional value as you can in the limited time you have to get the work done too.

The game moves through different life stages, each choice and emotion values affects the ending. It's a single-player game that mixes light story and exploration. In this media-saturated era, what kind of End do you lead to?

Backstory

The protagonist starts rushing to meet a deadline, but his computer is filled with viruses. After clicking through all the ads, they find an app called "Life Transfer Device" on their desktop. The protagonist discovers that the ad for the Life Transfer Device claims it can cure cancer. The grandma emails the protagonist, asking for help in setting up the transfer device. At that time the protagonist finds out the reason why his pc has so many ads is because the grandma is trying to cure grandpa. The protagonist decides to put aside electronic devices and spend more time with their family. In the end, the grandparents gradually become younger together in a cartoonish world

Mechanics

For a limited time, players must close ADs to proceed with their tasks.

Clicking on (misleading) parts of ADs may result in extra pop-ups or time wasted, which hinder progress. But the time spent on opened ADs viewing will add emotion values, the adding number pf values depends on how long you spend on ADs. At round end, the life feedback page is rated according to total (3 levels) emotion values (such as an A+ over 300 marks and an A over 200 marks).

End of level when either of the time and progress bars expire, if player didn’t done the work as the progress bar is not 100%, be defeated.

You need time management to get as much emotional value as you can in the limited time you have to get the work done too.

In the first round, you won't know the meaning of emotional values until the end of the round.

The game shows a computer screen interface, simulating a student's or worker's desktop environment.

The player takes on the role of a person in different stages of life starting as the student, employee, retiree, and show dealing with the normal worry of digital ADs.

Selling Points

What makes Close the AD interesting is that it revolves around the modern challenge of digital distraction and information overload, reflected in the player's task to manage their digital workspace against a barrage of ADs. The tag at the gameover page for each level lets the player be aware of the existence of the information cocoon.

Through changes in the content and difficulty of the level scene, it reflects different identities and periods of life. From students to the elderly, open different rounds, guide to a different life.The first life for the novice tutorial, will inevitably get the ordinary ending "diligent person", there will be three ordinary endings to show cognitive psychology, and a number of hidden endings to give the player freedom, such as sending a message to the teacher to change the due day can increase the length and emotional value.

Similar Games and References

2d simple flat style, pseudo-pixel style with bright pink color. Overall color is bright and fresh. Expression of elements through various rectangles, minimalist. Modern computer office software elements are predominant.

AD reference （most funny）：

1. Game: High On Life