Games Development： Task 1: Game Design Document
Games Development
Task 1: Game Design Document
Start from 26.9.2025
10.10.2025 - 17.10.2025 / Week 3- Week 4
LI XIN LI / 0379305
Games Development / Bachelor of Interactive Spatial Design
We formed a small team of seven people and needed to identify two game files. We eventually chose Oubata and Tao's game concepts as the two game files we would study. We then divided the work and collaborated.
I was assigned three tasks: PHYTO: Health & Checkpoints, Achievements & Leaderboards; Double Pendulum Pachinko: Stage (divided by difficulty level).
After fully understanding two game ideas, I started working:
PHYTO:
Health & Checkpoints:
When designing the "Health & Checkpoints" system, I wanted "pollution" to be both a game challenge and a thematic expression. The pollution threshold is like the player's "health bar." When pollution reaches the upper limit without timely decontamination, the environment collapses and the level fails. Players reduce pollution by planting plants. Different plants have different decontamination efficiencies, and "powerful decontamination plants" can quickly restore the situation at critical moments, allowing for greater strategic flexibility.
"Checkpoints"are designed to balance challenge and experience. Each island is divided into several sub-areas. After decontamination, the game automatically saves upon completion, allowing players to restart from the most recent node if they fail, eliminating the need to start from the beginning. Cross-level saves allow players to return to unlocked islands at any time and continue playing, increasing freedom and a sense of exploration.
For "Achievements & Leaderboards", I wanted players to both feel accomplished and learn through competition. The achievements system encourages different play styles, such as speed, versatility, or strategy, and rewards players with skins or special items. Leaderboards are divided into "Clearance Efficiency" and "Overall Purification" rankings. They update in real time and allow players to view other players' strategies, allowing them to continuously optimize their gameplay through interaction and competition.
The overall concept is to make the "pollution purification" process both tense and strategic, with a driving force of growth, allowing players to experience the significance of ecological restoration through entertainment.
Final:
Health & Checkpoints
Health System
- Core Mechanic: The game sets a "pollution threshold" as the player's "health indicator." If pollutants aren't absorbed promptly, the pollution level in an area will accumulate. If the pollution level reaches the upper limit, the level will fail (corresponding to the core objective of "Human Survival Crisis").
- Recovery Method: Plant plants to absorb pollution. The pollution level will gradually decrease as the plants' purification efficiency increases. Certain "powerful purification plants" (such as advanced sunflowers) can quickly reduce pollution levels in a short period of time.
Checkpoints
- Level Nodes: Each polluted island level is divided into multiple sub-areas. When the player completes the purification of the current sub-area (reaching the target score), a checkpoint is automatically triggered. If the level fails, the player can restart from the most recent checkpoint (no need to start from the beginning).
- Cross-level Save: After unlocking a new island, the current progress is automatically saved, allowing players to return to the unlocked island at any time to continue playing.
Achievements & Leaderboards
Achievements
Achievement Name
Achievement Requirements
Rewards
Radiation Cleaner
Use Sunflowers to decontaminate 100 units of nuclear radiation.
Unlock the "Fluorescent Sunflower" skin.
Plant Master
Unlock and use all types of decontamination plants.
Unlock the exclusive Gardener character appearance.
Speed Cleaner
Cleanse an island level in under 5 minutes.
Additional plant planting resources.
Checkpoint-Free Clear: Clear any island level without checkpoints.
Rare "Anti-Pollution Tool" item.
Leaderboards
- Category Leaderboards:
- Single Island Efficiency Leaderboard: Records the fastest clearing time for each island level, ranked from shortest to longest.
- Total Decontamination Leaderboard: Counts the total amount of decontamination a player has achieved, ranked from highest to lowest.
- Real-Time Updates: Leaderboards automatically update as players clear a level or set a new record. You can view rankings of global players and friends. Click on a ranking to view the player's strategy (e.g., plant combination).
Double Pendulum Pachinko:
In designing these five levels, my core approach was to shape the player's learning and challenge curve through a "gradual progression of chaos." The entire level system doesn't simply increase speed or difficulty; instead, it gradually allows players to understand, adapt, and then challenge the limits of chaos control.
Stage 1: A Stable Starting Point
I wanted players to develop a sense of physical rhythm and confidence during this stage.
To this end, I chose a single, slow, and symmetrical double pendulum, allowing players to clearly observe the patterns of motion and understand the impact of timing on successful coin insertions. A generous win slot provides a high margin of error, allowing beginners to quickly gain positive feedback and grasp the core mechanics: coin insertion rhythm + success multiplication.
Stage 2: Slight Perturbations
In the second level, I began to introduce asymmetry and slight randomness.
The upper arm is heavier than the lower arm, and the pendulum speed is increased, causing slight deviations in the trajectory, forcing players to rely on observation to adjust their coin insertion rhythm. A mini bonus slot was also added, forcing players to choose between "safe coin insertion" and "high risk, high reward," fostering their initial strategic thinking.
Stage 3: Multi-Pendulum Interference
In the third level, I want players to officially enter the "chaos zone."
The number of pendulums increases to two, with the left and right pendulums interfering with each other and interlocking rhythms. At this point, players must not rely solely on visual reflexes but must predict their trajectory and rhythmic overlaps. This is an extension of the intuition developed in the first two levels. Bonus slots offer higher rewards but are also more difficult to hit, reinforcing the "high-stakes decision-making" experience.
Stage 4: Semi-Stable Chaos
The key word in this level is "dynamic uncertainty."
The triple pendulum structure combined with semi-random pivot movement makes the environment less predictable.
Not only must players cope with the faster pace, they must also constantly revise their observational logic. A **failure penalty mechanism (coin drop) is introduced here to further enhance risk awareness.
In this level, I hope players experience the thrill of "maintaining rhythm amidst chaos," rather than simply panicking.
Stage 5: Complete Chaos
The final level is the culmination of the entire system and the focal point of my rhythm design. Four completely unstable double pendulums, random mass, and sudden speed changes make predictability almost impossible.
I specifically designed the flashing Ultimate Bonus Slot, requiring players to react and seize opportunities in a fraction of a second.
At the same time, the game-ending rule of coin drop creates an extremely high-pressure decision-making environment, testing the limits of reflexes and judgment.
This level is more like a "chaos performance"—players must dance with the system's uncertainty, rather than control it.
Final:
Game Stages (5 Difficulty Levels)
Each stage ramps up complexity via more double pendulums, higher "chaos intensity" (swing speed/mass/pivot instability), smaller/harder-to-reach "win slots", and stricter rules — while keeping the core coin-throwing & doubling mechanic.
1. Stage 1: Beginner (Chaos Level: ★☆☆☆☆)
• Double Pendulums: 1 basic pendulum (slow swing, equal arm mass; pivot fixed dead-center of the board).
• Slots: 1 large "Win Slot" (bottom-center, extra-wide to minimize misses).
• Rules: Start with 2 coins; 1 successful drop doubles coins (max 4 coins to trigger Frenzy Mode).
• Time Limit: 2.5 minutes.
• Goal: Learn double pendulum movement (low chaos, high predictability) and basic coin-drop timing.
2. Stage 2: Novice (Chaos Level: ★★☆☆☆)
• Double Pendulums: 1 upgraded pendulum (swing speed +20%; upper arm mass > lower arm mass for slight trajectory variation; pivot still fixed).
• Slots: 1 standard "Win Slot" (narrowed by 20% vs. Stage 1) + 1 small "Mini Bonus Slot" (side of Win Slot, doubles coins + 3 extra points).
• Rules: Start with 3 coins; Frenzy Mode triggers at 6 coins (coins fall 2 at a time).
• Time Limit: 2 minutes.
• Goal: Adapt to mild pendulum chaos and choose between safe (Win Slot) or small-reward (Mini Bonus) drops.
3. Stage 3: Intermediate (Chaos Level: ★★★☆☆)
• Double Pendulums: 2 pendulums (pivots left/right of center; swing speed +40%; random arm mass — one light (fast) + one heavy (slow); swings overlap occasionally).
• Slots: 1 medium "Win Slot" (narrowed by 35% vs. Stage 1) + 1 "Bonus Slot" (between the two pendulums, triples coins).
• Rules: Start with 4 coins; Frenzy Mode triggers at 8 coins (coins fall 2 at a time, random drop positions).
• Time Limit: 1.5 minutes.
• Goal: Navigate overlapping swings and prioritize high-reward Bonus Slots without missing.
4. Stage 4: Advanced (Chaos Level: ★★★★☆)
• Double Pendulums: 3 pendulums (pivots in triangular formation; swing speed +60%; "semi-unstable" pivots — slight random shift every 15 seconds; extreme arm mass (super light/full heavy) for erratic paths).
• Slots: 2 small "Win Slots" (split left/right at bottom, each 50% narrower than Stage 1) + 1 "Mega Bonus Slot" (center-bottom, tiny — quadruples coins).
• Rules: Start with 5 coins; Frenzy Mode triggers at 10 coins (coins fall 3 at a time); failed drops reduce coins by 1.
• Time Limit: 1 minute.
• Goal: Manage multi-pendulum chaos, chase Mega Bonus Slots, and avoid coin loss.
5. Stage 5: Maniac (Chaos Level: ★★★★★)
• Double Pendulums: 4 double pendulums (pivots scattered randomly across the game board; swing speed increased by 90%; "fully unstable pivots" — random shifts every 10 seconds; pendulum arm mass changes in real-time, with occasional "sudden speed bursts" in swings).
• Slots: 3 micro "Win Slots" (each 70% narrower than Stage 1’s, hidden in the gaps between pendulums) + 1 "Ultimate Bonus Slot" (intermittent display — disappears for 2 seconds, then flashes for 1 second; successful drops quintuple the coin count and pause time for 5 seconds).
• Rules: Starts with 6 coins; "Frenzy Mode" activates immediately (4 coins drop at a time); each failed drop reduces coins by 2; the game ends early if coins are depleted (a rule not present in Stages 1-4).
• Time Limit: 45 seconds.
• Core Goal: React quickly amid extreme chaos, seize the flashing window of the "Ultimate Bonus Slot", and balance high risks (rapid coin loss) with ultra-high rewards.
Game Development Document
In the fourth week, we had a presentation. During the presentation, I found that the work I had done on Phyto. had been replaced. I didn’t know why.
After the presentation, the teacher gave us the following feedback:
The instructor generally praised our group's progress and creative performance. He felt that both projects—Double Pendulum Pachinko and Phyto—demonstrated promising concepts and unique visual ideas.
In Double Pendulum Pachinko, the instructor found the combination of "chaos physics" and "arcade pinball" to be interesting and novel, but suggested that we further refine the gameplay logic and control feedback to achieve a more coherent rhythm and unified visuals.
As for Phyto, the instructor approved of the "purifying the environment with plants" theme, but hoped that we could clarify the storyline, make the level structure more logical, and improve the color and lighting to make the ecological changes more visually impactful.
Finally, the instructor encouraged us to maintain our creativity, strengthen team communication and task allocation, and polish the details for a more complete and professional design in subsequent versions.
Redesign
The teacher gave us a chance to redo the GDD.
Our team consisted of eight people, divided into two groups, each responsible for two GDDs.
I ,Noyan, Shaiba, and Obata were in charge of the GDD - Double Pendulum Pinball.
We followed the teacher's example and added the main features, interface, art, and animation.
I was responsible for changing the illustrations. The previous illustrations may not be in line with the game design, so I changed them again.
We then put the contents of the document into the new GDD：
In Week 5, we held our second presentation. This week, the teacher provided feedback primarily on the game's scoring mechanics.
First, the teacher noted that the current scoring logic was somewhat vague and suggested clarifying the score progression in "winning slots" and "losing slots." For example, he suggested using a multiplier progression (2 → 4 → 8 → 16 → 32) to enhance the thrill of chained scoring.
Second, he mentioned that players might not currently understand the reasoning behind their scores , and that the visual feedback and logic needed to be more intuitive. A simple "scoring simulation" test could be conducted to ensure the rules make sense before further incorporating complex design.
Overall, the teacher felt that we were making good progress and on the right track. As long as we continue to refine details and player experience, we can make the game more coherent and engaging.
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