Street Level

Gameplay breakdown
The game begins in a ready state, (tentatively) consisting of the current ground image, and a single glowing target. Players tap target and are whisked to the top of the descent.

After one breath/beat, players begin falling. The background contains just enough visual information to indicate falling, perhaps motion blur and some animation on an abstract raster background. A stylized, subtle outline of the player is visible on the screen.

Another glowing ball appears, this one the first in a simple constellation-type form (constellations with rounded tracks, rather than straight lines). The constellations are drawn from templates with varying progressive levels of difficulty, organized according to tiers. For the first gesture, we are at tier 1. Constellations rotate through the tiers automatically at 20 sec intervals, until players lock one in by tapping the glowing ball.

Once the constellation is locked, players have a time limit (indicated visually, perhaps by the colour of the glowing ball) in which to complete the gesture. To perform a gesture, players must attract the ball along a pre-defined track, to a target point at the end of the track. The ball is attracted to the player’s hand (either hand…sometimes both), but can only move along the track, and does so slowly. When the attract bond is broken (e.g. player moves too quickly or moves hand out of the track), the ball stays where it is, until the time elapses and the constellation cycle resumes. Players can release a constellation before completion by re-tapping the starting point.

If the player completes the gesture, the design becomes “fixed” on the screen, and a new cycle of constellations (Tier 2) begins (likely from the conclusion point). As players move up the tiers, more sophisticated visual effects are applied to the fixed designs (colour, animation).

Players may also unlock particular abilities such as free draw, rotate, etc. but how this is integrated is currently TBD.

At any time, a player can slow the speed of their descent by spreading out their arms. However, they cannot draw in this state (CP note: perhaps speed can increase as a time indicator, with higher speed always unlocking specific visual effects? so players may want to perform ONE grand gesture while going really fast, close to the bottom).

After 2 minutes of gameplay, players begin to approach the ground. This is indicated in part by the beginning of a camera tilt downward (the design and template remain fixed on the screen). The ground is a darker colour, and as it draws near, it becomes both darker and more in focus.

Once the approach phase begins, players receive an additional bonus for completing gestures (perhaps this is when special abilities are unlocked).

During the approach, players can spread their arms and halt their descent (use of this gesture during this period always results in a halt). Players then appear to stop about a foot off the ground, where the accumulated designs of the last 10 players are revealed. These designs are layered transparently according to fall time (i.e. last player 100% visible, second last 90%…). However, the player’s current design is discarded.

Players who do not stop and who hit the ground have their screen fade to black. However, their design is preserved, and becomes the top layer in the accumulated design.

Players who wish to see their “mark” necessarily have to replay the game without hitting the ground (CP note: is it interesting and short enough to allow someone to just fall?), OR alternately need to wait for the game’s ready state.

Aesthetics
Control/chaos: Overall tension between moving quickly (falling) and moving slowly (gestures). Ideally the phenomenal effect created is the need to maintain performative discipline while faced with a time pressure that prompts a desire to move more quickly.

Indexicality: Being able to leave a mark causally linked to performance.

Known issues
Physical body position (skeleton) — can it be made adaptable for the range of body types (large people, coats, children).

Configuration avoidance — can we use the official Kinect SDK (Windows only) to avoid having to “cactus.”

Additional Design Considerations
Although the game environment is itself 3D, all gameplay occurs in 2D.

All animation and visuals are also layered in 2D— perhaps procedural 2D animation.