Adventure Game Studio

Here are the entries of this round. Please use the poll to help decide a winner.

1.
You're tasked with finding survivors in an arctic research facility. All you have in your inventory is a gun, with only one bullet. You'll face various enemies, and the question is always - should you use your one remaining bullet, or is it possible to find another way around them (using your wits and environmental puzzles)?

Eventually, you'll end up trapped in a sort of life-preserving chamber, unable to get out. The single bullet can be used to end your otherwise eternal existence in this chamber. If you've already used it, the game won't end.

2.
Convicts sentenced to multiple life sentences must serve them, in full, doing hard labor in the toxic wasteland around the Ross Peniplex, where genetically modified pets gone feral prey among mirages projected by discarded AR equipment. Only a completed lifespan and natural death counts as time served: the prisoners are then cloned to resume their sentences.

Clemens' last lifetime didn't count, since he ended it by blowing himself up. In fact, because he took out the prison's memory banks in the explosion, he must restart his sentence from the beginning â€" and he has no idea why he did it. Who had he become?

An existential Cyberpunk RPG-adventure in the style of Planescape: Torment or I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, with graphics created through a combination of 3D renders, photobashing and AI-supported DeepDream generation.

3.
Karma Quest (working title)

You play as a brave knight out on a quest in this RPG style game.The twist is that whenever you are killed by an enemy you are reincarnated as one of the enemy types you have already killed and must fight the knight at the skill/power level he was at when he killed your enemy type last.If you die you are reincarnated as a different enemy type he has killed and repeat the process.Only when you win against the knight are you worthy to be reicarnated as him again and able to continue your quest.Karma is a bitch!

4.
La Torsion

It starts with Bert Sartre feeling strange, unable to enjoy sex with a local barmaid, and culminates in a part where he must shoot an Arab or commit suicide.

To facilitate a sense of living for the moment, the game forgets about actions that happened more than five minutes ago. Most of what you do is inconsequential and some puzzles rely on this. There's a commitment UI where you can decide that two or more game events will have meaning. This links the events and gives poor Bert a release from disgust.

Also, there's an existential twist.

5.
At the funeral of writer Martin Dyer, prayers and eulogies are had. A shout rings from the back of the Church. The mourners turn to see Martin lying naked on the flagstones, crying. The coffin is empty and the Cancer is gone.

You play as Martin, upon release from hospital (all clear), as he finds out what happened to him while a crazy cult forms around the man who just might be the second coming. The question is: is he?

6.
“They” had come and destroyed everything Samantha had ever cared about.  “They” were cruel, uncaring and unmerciful. “They” were the instrument of a despotic ruler who was accountable to nobody.
Samantha longed for revenge, and her opportunity has at last come; however the only way she has a chance for revenge is to become one of “Them” herself.  In doing so, Samantha will be forced to question everything she has ever known, and the ruler's true identity will dismay her.

Dang.  I probably won't be able to participate this time.  I had a nice idea written out to post when the next contest came up, but I didn't count on a theme.  Thinking about it is giving me an existential twist.

Same here :(

Yeah, I'm also struggling to come up with a good twist. Between them, M. Night Shyamalan and Saw have already done them all.

I suggest adding the sentence "Also there's an existential twist" to the end of the pitch. :P

Quote from: Snarky on Thu 28/06/2018 14:08:15
I suggest adding the sentence "Also there's an existential twist" to the end of the pitch. :P

Genius! (laugh)

/me predicts 15 entries that end with "Also there's an existential twist" (laugh)

Quote from: Snarky on Thu 28/06/2018 14:08:15
I suggest adding the sentence "Also there's an existential twist" to the end of the pitch. :P

As long as 85 words isn't too many, I may have to do that!

Last chance to submit, if anyone's come up with anything existential in the last week!

I'm having an existential blank... (laugh)

Damn, I though the theme would make it easier to come up with stuff, not the other way around :(

Alright, still a handful of entries. Let the reading, speculating and voting begin!

Voted. The one I voted for is a really good idea. Make it, whoever you are. (nod)

I can confirm I did enter.

To be honest I'd rather know who all the entrants are before matching them to the pitches. I find it too messy otherwise.

Voted.

#2. I'm interested in the mystery surrounding the main character, but as with all of these, it might be a bit too dark. I really like the idea of using DeepDream for art.

#1 has everyone's favorite Sierra game feature.

I like #3 & #6.

I voted for #2.  Seems the most out of the ordinary, and I'd be interested in seeing how it was accomplished.

I actually entered this one myself, mostly because participation was a bit low this time around. It's a pretty bad pitch though, so I don't expect (m)any votes, hehe...
I shall vote randomly for another entry, knowing who wrote which one.

Quote from: Andail on Fri 06/07/2018 06:18:07
I shall vote randomly for another entry, knowing who wrote which one.

Wouldn't it just be better not to vote, then? Not very fair if someone loses because they were beaten by the random vote is it?

Quote from: Mandle on Fri 06/07/2018 08:35:53

Quote from: Andail on Fri 06/07/2018 06:18:07
I shall vote randomly for another entry, knowing who wrote which one.

Wouldn't it just be better not to vote, then? Not very fair if someone loses because they were beaten by the random vote is it?

True. My reasoning was that if I refrained from voting, that's effectively voting on myself (albeit in a dilluted form), since every other participant will vote on an entry that isn't their own.
Maybe it's better if I simply voted on my favourite pitch, instead :)

I voted for 2, since it felt like the most intriguing one to me, but I had a very hard time deciding between that and number 5.

Some interesting ideas here, I think my vote goes to #5 as it has a lot of possibilities both for the player and what actually happens to him.

Wasn't there a fairly stringent word limit though?  If feels like almost every entry broke it unless I'm remembering wrongly!!

Quote from: Andail on Fri 06/07/2018 11:36:51
Maybe it's better if I simply voted on my favourite pitch, instead :)

Yeah, I don't think it matters that much if you know who's who. I'm sure you will be impartial.

Quote from: Andail on Fri 06/07/2018 11:36:51
My reasoning was that if I refrained from voting, that's effectively voting on myself (albeit in a dilluted form), since every other participant will vote on an entry that isn't their own.

Shurely shome mishtake...
I just voted for you by not voting! And for everyone else!

I'm more busy during summer, so I didn't partecipate this round (and maybe also the next)!

I voted for #4, this "crossroads" adventure with elements of mental illness (so I think) seems intriguing!

Curiosuly more than one entries is a "loop" adventure!

_

Once more, feedback! Standard "only one person's opinion" disclaimer applies. My reaction to #6 will shock you!

#1
Survival horror in polar research facilities is always a good hook (see: The Thing, Infinity String). I think it's a little bit of an idea at war with its game mechanic, though. If you know the gun is always the “easy way out” of any problem, then you will always be looking for the “real” solution, so it ceases to be a factor. And the problem with the final twist is that it comes when the game is already effectively over, so I don't see it having that much impact. It's clever, though.

#2
I'm all about DeepDream art, and I can really see it working to create landscapes enhanced by AR projection (a garbage dump half-transformed into a tropical garden and stuff like that). But the plot sounds a lot like the old “you wake up in a cell with no memory of who you are or how you got there (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouWakeUpInARoom)” setup, which is probably one of the most over-used game openings in the book. PS: RIP Harlan Ellison.

#3
Nice idea; I think the indie platform gaming scene would be all over it, since they love meta stuff like this. The only thing is that... it's not an adventure game.

#4
Very camusing.

#5
Have your heard of Christina the Astonishing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_the_Astonishing)? People used to have ways to come to terms with inexplicable events like this (or maybe rather: they had a framework for understanding them in which they weren't inexplicable).

Which is to say: Interesting premise â€" its success really depends on how it is resolved. If it ends up unsatisfying, it could be one of those works like Lost or Battlestar Galactica that are remembered for their failed endings.

#6
A promising setup. However, I have a strong dislike for the clickbait teaser style where you describe someone's reaction to something without revealing what that thing actually is.

Quote from: Snarky on Sun 08/07/2018 09:04:37
My reaction to #6 will shock you!

He couldn't understand why the audience was cheering!! :-D

If you haven't voted yet, this is your last chance: it closes in an hour.

Congratz to the winner!

Now do we guess who did each pitch?

Yeah. Like Stupot I think it's a bit fruitless if you don't know who the possibilities are, so I'll confirm that I did enter this round as well.

I'll guess that #1 is Andail.

I confirm that I entered but got no votes! :-D

I entered this round.

I think that CaptainD is #3.

So just to take stock, the participants are Stupot, Andail, Snarky, CaptainD, Mandle and one unknown person (maybe dactylopus, who expressed interest?).

Cat and Cassie also said they had been trying to think of something. Whether they entered or not, I din't know.

I agree possibly #1 is Andail and #3 is CaptainD
I'm putting my money on Snarky for #4

I come out blank, so I did not enter. (wrong)
I did vote on #5... Cause I want to see how the story progresses. ;)

My guesses:

#5 - Stupot
#2 - Andail
#4 - Snarky
#1 - Mandle

Quote from: Stupot on Wed 11/07/2018 09:14:41
I'm putting my money on Snarky for #4

Quote from: CaptainD on Wed 11/07/2018 10:21:12
#4 - Snarky

False.

Quote from: CaptainD on Wed 11/07/2018 10:21:12
#1 - Mandle

Nope

I'm pretty sure Stupot is #5, and I suspect Mandle is #6, which makes CaptainD #3.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! 

I am not number 3!

I think #2 is Snarky and by a process of elimination, #6 is CaptainD?

Also, I am the secret entrant!

I then know 3 of the other participants, but listing them also gives away which one was me (though I think you can already work that out from available information):

Spoiler

#6 CaptainD, #5 Stupot, #4 Mandle... and yes, Gurok is right, I'm #2

[close]

And I'll guess:

Spoiler

#1 Andail, #3 Gurok

[close]

Snarky is correct about which contribution was mine.

Also, this round saw half the activity of previous rounds. Was it the theme that ruined it, or have we run too many of these in too short time? Any thoughts here?

So:

#1: Andail
#2: Snarky
#3: Mandle
#4: Gurok
#5: Stupot
#6: CaptainD

(Sorry for my misdirection but CaptainD saying that he got no votes put me in a unique position I could not ignore the fun of...)

Quote from: Andail on Wed 11/07/2018 13:50:13
Was it the theme that ruined it?

I wouldn't say it "ruined" it but it might be best to not have such a theme as people might have limited time/ideas to pitch and may feel intimidated if there is a theme they should try to obey.

I can confirm Mine was number 5. Thanks for the votes.

Quote from: Stupot on Wed 11/07/2018 14:09:44
I can confirm Mine was number 5. Thanks for the votes.

I voted for #2 so :P

Hmmmm... you're right, Mantle. #4 is mine. Was it existential enough?

Congratulations, Stupot! You had my vote. And I'm curious to know which one you were referring to with this:

Quote from: Stupot on Thu 05/07/2018 23:53:28
Voted. The one I voted for is a really good idea. Make it, whoever you are. (nod)

For all of you:

Quote from: Gurok on Fri 06/07/2018 01:09:05
#2. I'm interested in the mystery surrounding the main character, but as with all of these, it might be a bit too dark. I really like the idea of using DeepDream for art.

Quote from: dactylopus on Fri 06/07/2018 03:01:02
I voted for #2.  Seems the most out of the ordinary, and I'd be interested in seeing how it was accomplished.

Quote from: Blondbraid on Fri 06/07/2018 11:58:58
I voted for 2, since it felt like the most intriguing one to me, but I had a very hard time deciding between that and number 5.

Quote from: Mandle on Wed 11/07/2018 14:17:47
I voted for #2 so :P

Thanks for your votes! ;)

My pitch was an idea I've had for a long time â€" longer than I've been around on the AGS Forums. It comes from a class in Game Design I took in college, back in 2003, where one of the assignments was to create and DM a single-session tabletop RPG. So I have it worked out to a fairly significant extent, with a storyline, setting, characters/enemies and puzzles. I kept all my notes, and in the years since I've kicked the idea around from time to time, coming up with new elements and adapting it to work better as a single-player computer game (mainly by combining elements of the player characters' backstories and arcs into one composite) and as an adventure game, but it's still fundamentally the same concept. The DeepDream graphics idea is a recent inspiration, obviously.

To Gurok's comment, yeah, one of the reasons I'm not that keen to ever actually make it is that it is horrendously, almost absurdly dark. (The details in the pitch are nothing near the worst of it.) Another is that a few years later Gemini Rue did a lot of the things I was thinking about, and did them really well.

Quote from: Andail on Wed 11/07/2018 13:50:13
Was it the theme that ruined it, or have we run too many of these in too short time? Any thoughts here?

I think it just made it tougher for people who maybe already had come up with an idea, and then couldn't use it. (I was lucky that my pool of ideas already included something that fit the theme pretty well.) I suppose it depends on whether it's a competition about brainstorming the best concept, or pitching concepts most effectively.

As for the frequency, it's been less then one round per month, and the barrier to entry is quite low, so I don't really think that's a big factor.

Thanks, Snarky. I voted for number 4. I really liked Gurok's idea that the player might be able to choose what memories to take forward. A little bit like Resonance in a way.

My idea was a new one. I wanted to put twist on a familiar idea (rather than the story itself having a plot twist) so I took the age old ‘is there a God?' and changed it to ‘am I God?' I thought it hadn't been done before but I've since remembered Bruce Almighty kind of has that going on.

Admittedly my pitch was light on gameplay mechanics. This could have easily been a TV or movie pitch (and I'm tempted to write a spec pilot script around it)

By the way, thanks for that link about Christina the Astonishing, Snarky. Was an interesting read.

Quote from: Gurok on Wed 11/07/2018 14:48:24
#4 is mine. Was it existential enough?

For me is yeah, Gurok! This is a game that I'd love to play! At least make a demo...

Quote from: Stupot on Wed 11/07/2018 15:48:05
I took the age old ‘is there a God?' and changed it to ‘am I God?' I thought it hadn't been done before but I've since remembered Bruce Almighty kind of has that going on.

Well, not really. In Bruce Almighty he knows that he is God. He has been made God by God Himself. The idea of a character trying to figure out if he is God or not sounds great for a TV series! It has the possibility to be a comedy, a drama, or a bit of both. Some horror is also possible.

And the whole thing is already a mystery story!

Just as long as there's no mysterious set of numbers cropping up everywhere which are never addressed then how can you go wrong?!

Quote from: Andail on Wed 11/07/2018 13:50:13
Was it the theme that ruined it, or have we run too many of these in too short time? Any thoughts here?

For me, the theme.  Also, very short windows of entry has hindered my ability to participate.

Quote

QuoteI took the age old ‘is there a God?' and changed it to ‘am I God?' I thought it hadn't been done before but I've since remembered Bruce Almighty kind of has that going on.

Well, not really. In Bruce Almighty he knows that he is God. He has been made God by God Himself. The idea of a character trying to figure out if he is God or not sounds great for a TV series! It has the possibility to be a comedy, a drama, or a bit of both. Some horror is also possible.

It reminds me of a comic called Chninkel (http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2009/09/04/chninkel/). The hero is a slave wondering if he's been chosen by God to accomplish a prophecy.

New round!
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=56288.0